


One Night In Riverdale

by mercuryinretrograde



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Angst, F/M, Humor, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-04-25 01:16:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14367753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercuryinretrograde/pseuds/mercuryinretrograde
Summary: Jughead and Veronica reconnect at Archie and Betty's wedding.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first Riverdale fic (and fic in like, five years)— I hope you like it. Some notes to keep in mind:
> 
> 1.) I started writing this multi-chapter fic in March 2018. It may diverge from future episodes of the show, but I will try my best to adapt to any relevant plot details as new episodes air.
> 
> 2.) This is written from the perspective of Jughead and Veronica being jaded adults in their late 20's. They may not act exactly how they would on the show as teens. 
> 
> 3.) I don't own any of these characters or settings, please don't sue me.

   
"Archibald Andrews, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

The groom inhaled deeply, his auburn hair practically glowing under the light of the setting sun. He took each of his lovely bride's hands gently in his own, meeting her gaze with a look of such certainty. He looked happy, on the verge of betraying just how overwhelmed he must have felt in that moment.

 _I'm happy for him._ Veronica Lodge thought to herself, taking a sip of Prosecco from her seat in the pews as she observed the couple intently. Happiness. It was what she wanted for him. For both of them.

"I do."

"And do you, Betty Cooper, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Betty Cooper smiled, her pink lips and blonde curls making her look the absolute picture of a blushing bride. It was funny, for so much of their early adulthood people always mistook Veronica as the 'dream girl', the one every guy wanted to date. They may have been right about that last part but Betty... Betty was the one they wanted to marry, and Archie Andrews was no exception.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The minister shut his book. The couple embraced. The crowd went wild. The organ sprang to life and Veronica tilted her head back, emptying her champagne flute.

 

* * * * * * *

 

She found herself hovering near the open bar for most of the night. The dance floor had been going for awhile now and when Josie McCoy started singing a sultry rendition of 'At Last', Veronica knew it was time for another drink. There was only so much saccharine sentimentality she could stand and the ceremony had already filled her quota.

Once upon a time she would have insisted on having this dance. It would've probably even been her on stage singing this very song. She would've been ebullient at the idea of being surrounded by so much love, at seeing all of that open affection around her— something she very rarely witnessed between her parents who had at best what you could describe as an intense attraction for one another's business prowess. That was high school though. Veronica Lodge was no longer a hopeless romantic. Now she was just hopeless.

"Fancy seeing you here."

Veronica looked up from her glass and found that she no longer had the bar to herself. Casually leaning with his back against the bar was a mop of unkempt dark hair, an ill-fitted suit, and a familiar face. "Jughead Jones." Veronica offered him a thin smile. "Beautiful wedding, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah." Jughead agreed, staring at the little glacier of ice that was melting into an amber colored sea at the bottom of his glass. He swirled the liquid around and took another sip. "Actually, I was a little surprised to see that you didn't make it into the wedding party either."

Veronica narrowed her eyes at him. Somethings never changed, like Jughead's lack of social grace and tendency to pry. "Well, Polly really wanted to be her maid of honor and who am I to compete with a sister." Veronica explained. "But what's your excuse? Archie is an only child." She looked at him pointedly.

"Yeah... I guess he thought it would be awkward if his best man was his bride's ex-boyfriend. Which... it is." Jughead shrugged. "Still, not gonna lie, getting replaced by your husband of all people... that stung a bit. No offense."

"None taken." Veronica paused. "Reggie's not all that bad, you know." She didn't know why she felt compelled to defend him. Wifely duties, perhaps? It was true though. Reggie was a good guy. Charming, fiscally responsible, sexy as hell— and he treated her like the princess she'd always been led to believe she was. What more could she ask for? "Him and Archie just have some kind of special manly bond that I'll never truly understand."

"That makes two of us." Jughead chuckled. He turned to face her, raising his glass. "Well, cheers. Here's to our high school sweethearts."

"Here's to us," Veronica suggested, "the ones who help people realize what they truly want." She clinked her glass against his and both of them polished off the remainder of their drinks in one fell swoop.

"Hey... guys..." Betty's tentative voice drifted in from the edge of the dance floor. Veronica turned around to find the couple of the hour standing right behind her. She quickly corrected her composure, not wanting to come across so self-pitying at her best friend's wedding.

"Betty! Archie! Is it already time to cut the cake?" Veronica asked with a sense of enthusiasm that seemed to come so naturally to her. It didn't.

"Oh, uh not yet." Betty smiled gently, accepting a generous hug from Veronica. "We just wanted to come over and say 'hi' to our best friends before my mom pulls us into another photo op."

"Classic Alice." Veronica nodded in understanding.

"We actually really wanted to thank you both for coming." Archie spit out, his eyes darting back and forth between Veronica and Jughead. "It really means a lot to us to have you guys here."

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world, man." Jughead smiled, stepping forward and embracing Archie in one of those half-hugs-half-handshakes that grown men often resorted to.

"We also wanted to let you guys know..." Betty had that look in her eyes, the one she got when she had some news she was dying to spill. "We're moving back to Riverdale!" She squealed excitedly, pulling Archie close and leaning against his shoulder.

"What? No way!" Veronica's jaw dropped slightly and she and Jughead exchanged surprised looks.

"Yeah, I mean... while we were planning the wedding out here we just realized how much we missed home." Archie explained. "We love New York but we couldn't imagine starting a family anywhere else but Riverdale."

"Yeah, wow. Makes sense." Jughead nodded along, doing his best to act casual and not betray the conflicting emotions racing through his mind. Truthfully, one of the reasons he had been able to get over Archie and Betty's inevitable union was because for the most part, they were out of sight and out of mind. Tucked away in the big glittering city with the Lodges and the Mantles of the world. He never had to experience third-wheeling his ex and his best friend on a daily basis. Although if Veronica could do it for the past six years... there was no reason he wouldn't get used to it too. "Hey that, that's really great, you guys."

"Yeah I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you, Jug." Archie grinned, "And Ronnie... now you have an excuse to come back and visit Riverdale more often. I just mentioned it to Reggie and he's stoked. He mentioned that you guys still have the lodge by Shadow Lake."

The lake house. Veronica had been wanting to sell it for years but Reggie always fought her on it. He was always trying to relive his glory days and to him, the lodge was the place where he and Veronica cemented their relationship for the first time. What he didn't understand was that Veronica had many more memories in that cabin from before his time. Memories involving Archie, Betty, and even Jughead. "That is true." Veronica admitted, forcing a smile. "I guess I can always count on you two to drag me back here."

The four of them made idle small talk while internally relishing in their reunion and all the complicated feelings that came with it. Archie and Betty were overjoyed to have the core four together again for what felt like the first time in years. They were both self-aware enough to know that their union had created a rift— imperceptible to most, and one which Veronica and Jughead did their best to pretend wasn't there, but Archie and Betty knew the truth. The cost of their happiness were these tiny cracks in their bonds that the couple knew they would likely spend the rest of their lives trying to fix. Trying to get back to that golden era.

"Betty!" Alice's voice drifted above the crowds. Betty turned to find her mom waving them over aggressively.

"Ugh, my mom." Betty rolled her eyes and looked at Veronica and Jughead apologetically. "I think we gotta go."

"Duty calls." Jughead joked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Enjoy the party you two." Archie told them earnestly. "If we don't catch you again by the end of the night... let's get dinner soon? The four of us? It's been way too long."

"Of course." Veronica smiled and waved softly as Betty and Archie disappeared back into the dance floor. Jughead exhaled deeply and fell back against the bar. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asked suddenly, "Maybe get some fresh air?"

"Jughead, it's an outdoor wedding." Veronica sighed. "But... yes." Jughead adjusted the collar of his suit jacket and made a move to leave but Veronica stopped him, "Wait." She reached her arm over and behind the currently unattended bar, pulling out an unopened bottle of champagne. "Now we can go." She explained curtly, grabbing her clutch and taking the bottle with her.

"I like your style." Jughead mumbled, following her out.

 

* * * * * * *

 

Despite her father owning the land it sat on, Veronica had actually never been to the Riverdale Conservatory before tonight. It had been built after she left for college and was now a premier wedding venue for young couples both in and out of town.

Jughead, on the other hand, had been there many times before chaperoning field trips for Riverdale High. He was vaguely familiar with the grounds and led the two of them to a cordoned off area far enough away from the reception hall that the music and joyful chitter chatter of the wedding played second fiddle to the melody of crickets and toads dancing in the moonlight.

The Japanese Wisteria garden was his favorite part of the conservatory. Not only did it smell even more fragrant at night, but the wispy lavender flowers hung from the trees like a gossamer veil, offering an illusion of privacy. He often came here when he wanted to be alone; to think or to write.

"I hate weddings." Veronica admitted, taking a swig from the bottle of champagne and leaning back on her elbows in the grass.

"Veronica Lodge? Hate weddings?" Jughead asked in disbelief, reaching for the bottle. "I don't believe that for a second."

"Well, I got married." Veronica shrugged. "...and then I realized it's not all it's cracked up to be. The wedding might even be the best part. It's like the beginning of the end."

Jughead paused before taking another sip, the bottle just a few inches away from his lips. "I thought you said Reggie was a good guy."

"He is." Veronica insisted. She sighed, rolling her head to the side. "It's not about him." Jughead said nothing, until the silence became so uncomfortable that Veronica felt the need to fill it further. "Give me that," She grabbed the bottle from him, taking a deep drink. "It's just... when I was with Archie it was like I couldn't live up to this expectation of who he wanted me to be. The girl next door. Simple and low-maintenance. Easy to be with. Then with Reggie... I thought maybe this would fit better. He's from my world, and he wants the girl who has it all. So why I do feel like I'm disappointing him, too? Like I'm not living up to his grand idea of me either?" Veronica dropped her elbows and laid down on her back, staring up at the flowers hanging down above her. She turned towards Jughead. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm a little drunk."

Jughead sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's fine." He wrapped his arms around his knees, looking off into the distance thoughtfully. "Here's a crazy idea... maybe you're just somewhere in between those two things... and that's okay. It makes you human. We're not supposed to fit neatly into these stereotypical little boxes."

Veronica observed him for a moment. "Wow. Spoken like a true teacher." She smiled. "Your students must adore you."

"I'm not going to lie, they do."

"Yeah, well, just don't go all Geraldine Grundy on us." Veronica joked, causing Jughead to choke a little on the champagne he just swallowed. "Sorry, too soon?"

"She died, Veronica." Jughead reminded her, trying to collect himself but he was smiling all the same. He joined her in lying down on the grass, folding his arms underneath his head. "How come we never talked more in high school?"

"I don't know, probably because you had this obsessive vendetta against my dad during most of it."

"Ah, right." Jughead grinned. "How is Hiram, by the way?"

"Still thriving. He's in Dubai right now trying to figure out— wait, you're not plying me with alcohol to try to get me to spill secrets on my father's business, are you?"

"First of all, you're the one who stole the bottle." Jughead reminded her, "And second... that was a genuine question."

"Oh." Veronica relaxed back into the grass.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Jughead asked, turning onto his side and leaning his head against his hand. Veronica didn't say anything, but she waved her hand impatiently to give him permission. "Are you happy?"

Veronica turned to face the sky, but she was looking inward for the answers. "I don't know." She said finally. "I don't think I'm _unhappy_ , but sometimes I just can't remember what being really, truly happy feels like." She rolled over onto her side as well. "Are you?"

"I think I'm... okay with my lot in life." Jughead explained slowly. "I've made peace with a lot of things, including how Riverdale has changed." Veronica nodded understandingly. "Like this conservatory for instance. It was built on old Serpent territory, which pissed me off at first, but the truth is nobody was using it for anything good anyway. They actually have a program where they employ a lot of at-risk high school students from the Southside as tour guides. A lot of serpents participate... it pays well, teaches them communication skills, looks good on their college applications... prevents them from making money in less legal ways." He shrugged. "Plus, who hates flowers? At least it's not a prison."

"Wow." Veronica gazed at him appreciatively, as if she was seeing him in a new light. "Jughead Jones, you are full of surprises."

"Don't get me wrong, I still think your dad is an evil capitalist." He clarified bluntly. "However... I'm learning to look out for the silver lining. The good that comes out of the inevitable shit I'm constantly finding myself surrounded by." He flashed her a wry smile.

Veronica sat up to take a sip from the bottle of champagne and dusted a few loose blades of grass off of her violet dress. "Sometimes I wish I could go back to high school. I know we dealt with an insane amount of murders per capita at the time but... despite that, things felt so much simpler."

Jughead nodded. She was right. Sure, in his youth he was never not fighting some kind of fight, but that was because the difference between right and wrong was so clear to him. He knew where he stood. Adulthood forced you to reckon with and accept how flawed the world really was. Your mistakes started to add up and you realized how flawed you were too. Who was he to harp on about justice when he had done terrible things himself?

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Jughead and he looked at Veronica. "You know... we could go back. If you really want." Veronica furrowed her brow, looking at him confusion as Jughead reached into his pocket, procuring a set of keys attached to a Riverdale Bulldogs keychain. He jingled them enticingly in front of her.

"What do you say, Veronica Lodge? How about a trip down memory lane?"

 

* * * * * * *

 

"I can't believe you work here." Veronica linked one of her arms through his as they strolled down the empty hallways of their alma mater. Her other hand clutched the almost empty bottle of champagne, their third wheel for the evening.

"Yeah, well... there aren't too many things you can do with an English degree." Jughead mumbled. They stopped in front of a glass case displaying many of Riverdale's athletic accolades over the year. "Hey look, there's your boy. Both of them." He giggled tipsily, pointing to a small plaque featuring a photo of the football team from 2018. A tiny Reggie Mantle and Archie Andrews knelt side by side in the left corner. They had been co-captains and taken the Bulldogs to state championships that year.

"Ha ha." Veronica scoffed and hit him lightly on the arm. She was suddenly distracted by something that caught her eye in the case. "Oh, this is the trophy the River Vixens won my junior year at Nationals. We placed top ten in the country thanks to Cheryl kicking our asses into gear." She sighed wistfully. "Hey, do you think we could see the gymnasium?"

"Uh, sure. Not so many memories in there for me, but maybe I can warm up my old seat on the bleachers." He led her towards the double doors that marked the entrance to the high school's gym.

"Wait here." Veronica instructed once they were inside, leaving him with the bottle and disappearing off into the locker room.

"O...kay." Jughead wandered over to his usual spot in the stands, unceremoniously plopping down and taking another swig. He was beyond lightheaded at this point, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't feel good. To feel free and social and daring and to just not give a fuck for a few hours. He wasn't sure if his lightness was because of the alcohol or also partly Veronica's influence. She may have been down in the dumps, but if he remembered correctly that was also when she tended to have the most fun.

"Gooooo Bulldogs!" Veronica shouted drunkenly, cartwheeling back into the gymnasium. Jughead almost spit out his drink for the second time that night. Veronica's cocktail dress had been replaced by one of the River Vixen's cheerleading outfits. She twirled around to show it off. "It's a little tight, but... still fits." She explained with pride.

"Did you just steal someone's cheerleading uniform?" Jughead asked, still staring at her in disbelief.

"Calm down, Mr. Jones. I didn't break any rules." Veronica rolled her eyes at him. "It's a spare. They always keep one in the locker room in case someone forgets theirs or gets a milkshake thrown on them at lunch." She turned around and did a front flip to the center of the room. "We used to do this routine that was like..." Veronica raised her hands above her head, swirling her hips in a circle, "and then..." she dropped to the floor, kicking her legs up in the air, "or was it..." she pushed herself back up to her knees, throwing her head and hair back. "I can't remember." Veronica laughed helplessly.

Jughead felt his face go hot. Breaking into the gymnasium and watching Veronica Lodge perform a cheer routine was definitely not how he expected this evening to go. Although it certainly beat moping around at the wedding. "Hey, it all looks good to me." He offered, trying to be helpful. Veronica smiled appreciatively and walked back over to the bleachers, hopping over them one by one until she was standing on the row below Jughead's, putting them squarely face to face and making him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

In high school he always thought of himself as being above the type of guys that fawned over Veronica Lodge. The Archies and the Reggies of the world. He prided himself on liking the studious, intellectual type, the Betty Coopers. Though it would be wrong to say that Veronica wasn't intellectual; she was just as well read as he was and whip smart. Still, she had no effect on him and he was impervious to her charms. At least that's what he had thought, but perhaps it wasn't an immunity but rather distance that had spared him. Even when they were a part of the "Core Four" he had always kept her at arm's length, out of dislike for her family and respect for Archie and Betty. What business did he have getting close to his best friend's girlfriend and his girlfriend's best friend? Looking at her now, he knew he made the right choice in shutting her out back then. Because to know Veronica was to become enamored by her. He was no different than the other boys after all.

"Oh no, we're all out of champagne." Veronica broke him out of his reverie, her fingers brushing against his as she took the bottle from his hand. "We should probably recycle this. Wouldn't want Principal Weatherbee freaking out and accusing some innocent kids of underage drinking on campus."

"Uh, we can throw it into the big bin behind the school. There's a shortcut through the pool." Jughead explained, standing up quickly. He moved past her and hurried down the bleachers, suddenly feeling very keen on staying a few steps ahead of her.

Veronica followed him from the gym into the cavernous building that housed the school's indoor pool. It was dark but the room was filled with a soft, cool glow emanating off the lights in the pool. She paused to take it all in. "It's actually kind of beautiful in here."

Jughead realized she wasn't following him and stopped in his tracks. "Sure, I guess." He gestured towards the exit at the other side of the room. "Um, we should probably get going before someone makes a noise complaint or something."

"Chill out, Jones." Veronica looked at him suspiciously, closing the distance between them so she could examine him further. "Why are you acting weird all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden?" Jughead scoffed. "Veronica, I am weird. I've been weird my entire life."

"No..." Veronica shook her head softly. "You," she poked a finger into his chest, "were all fun and fine until we ran out of champagne." A look of realization crossed her face. "Oh. I get it..."

"Get what?" Jughead asked, starting to panic internally. Was she really that good at reading men's minds?

"You're thirsty." Veronica explained simply. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards into a mischievous smile. "And you need a drink."

"I don't need a-" before Jughead could finish his sentence he felt the pressure of Veronica's palms flat against his chest, and his balance slipping out from under him. Almost as if it were slow motion he felt himself falling backwards through the air until his back hit the surface of the water and the waves shot up around him and swallowed him whole. Everything was incomprehensible until he came gasping back up for air. "You..." Jughead wheezed, "You really... just did that." He pushed his wet hair out of his face and saw Veronica standing at the edge of the pool, hands fiddling with the zipper of the cheerleading skirt she was still wearing. His attempts at catching his breath suddenly became futile. "Veronica. What are you doing..."

"Well I'm not going to get it wet. Someone might need this tomorrow." She said it as if it were obvious. The skirt dropped to the tile floor surrounding the pool, joined shortly after by its matching top. This left Veronica standing there in a simple pair of black panties and a matching strapless bra. She took a few steps back from the edge and without any hesitation leapt in gracefully, sending a wall of water straight into field of vision. When Jughead wiped the water out of his eyes Veronica was already above the surface, grinning madly at him. "You should have seen your face, Juggie. It was _so_ funny."

"You..." He found himself chuckling despite how uncomfortable he felt in his now soaking wet suit. "You're crazy. I know you're not supposed to call women that, but... you are actually insane."

"Are you mad?" Veronica suddenly seemed concerned, and a little self-conscious.

"No." Jughead reassured her, taking a few steps back until the edge of the pool was behind him. He sighed and leaned his head back against it. "I don't really know how to react, this has hasn't exactly happened to me before."

"What, you've never been pushed into a pool?"

"I've never been pushed into a pool by my best friend's ex-girlfriend who is gorgeous and surprisingly... a lot of fun." He swallowed, suddenly realizing his word vomit but also feeling like it would be too awkward to take it back. Maybe, he hoped, Veronica was so used to being called beautiful she wouldn't even take note of it.

Veronica looked at him curiously for a moment then dipped her head underwater. When she reemerged she was just inches away from him. "Do you remember what happened the last time we were in a pool together?" She asked playfully, cocking her head to the side.

Jughead smirked. "I do. So much for the brilliant plan to prevent another Betty and Archie kiss from happening."

"We're probably about a thousand kisses behind from getting even." Veronica chimed in wistfully, flicking her gaze to the ceiling.

"I mean, it's their wedding night so if we wanted to get even we'd have to do a lot more than kiss." Jughead reasoned, before mentally slapping himself. There it was again. The word vomit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply..." He trailed off when he felt Veronica snake her hands around his neck, the rest of her just millimeters away from the rest of him.

"Don't be sorry." Veronica mumbled, pulling his lips towards hers just like she did all those years ago. The last time she kissed him, he allowed himself to enjoy it for mere seconds. After all, they had an audience. This time it was different. No girlfriends. No boyfriends. No inhibitions. Veronica Lodge was kissing him and he was ready to let himself drown in the deep end.

Veronica pulled away, exhaling deeply and leaning her forehead against his. This was crazy. What was she doing, making out in her alma mater's pool with Jughead Jones, of all people? A part of her thought: _Well now you've done it, Veronica. You hit rock bottom_. The other part thought _Who cares?_   When she stopped thinking about the consequences and Betty and Archie and Reggie and she just stayed in the moment, she knew that she felt good. Didn't she deserve to be the reckless one for once?

Jughead pushed back the wet curtain of hair around her face, tucking it behind her ears and cupping her head in his hands. "Hey, Veronica..." He lifted her chin so that she was forced to meet his gaze. "Look, I know we're drunk and... I just, I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything that you might regret... in the morning." He seemed almost insecure, as if he didn't believe that she would want to be here if she were sober. She might not have allowed herself to be here, but that didn't mean she wouldn't _want_ to.

"No regrets." Veronica shook her head, placing her hands against the pool's edge on either side of his head, trapping him there. "I want this." She reassured him, leaning in for another kiss. Her lips brushed softly against his, and the sensation of his hot breath against her skin ignited something inside her, a warmth that spread from her head all the way down to her toes.

It was Jughead who deepened the kiss. Veronica's enthusiastic permission had unlocked something primal inside him. It had been a long time since he felt like he could have something he really wanted and right now, it was her. He felt that if he let go, she might somehow slip through his fingertips. So instead he pulled her close to him, looping an arm around her small waist and then flipping them so that she was the one pressed against the tile wall of the pool. His lips left hers only to explore the rest of her, mapping out kisses against her neck and collarbone, the latter of which she seemed to particularly take pleasure in.

"Mmm," Veronica moaned softly, tilting her head to the side to give Jughead more access to the places she wanted him to brand with his lips. Her hands found their way to the lapel of his soaked suit jacket and she tugged it off his shoulders before working on the buttons of his white dress shirt. She didn't get very far before she was distracted by the sensation of his fingers rubbing against her soaked panties. She shivered in his hands, falling forward against him.

"Feels good?" Jughead whispered against her ear. She nodded meekly and he continued his ministrations, encouraged by the weight of her pressing herself even further against his hand. He slowly pulled his hand away and took a bit of pride in the whimper of disappointment that escaped her. His hand instead found its way to the waistband of her panties, and he watched intently as her breath hitched in her throat when he slid his index finger slowly across the top edge.

"Stop teasing me, Jughead." Veronica pleaded, meeting his gaze and allowing him to see her in a way that so many people never would: bare, and wanting, and out of control. He cupped her cheek in his free hand, pulling her in for another kiss while his other hand plunged below the waistband of her panties and into the center of her sex. "Fuck." Veronica hissed, gripping his shoulders for balance as she grinded up and down against his finger.

"You're incredible." Jughead mumbled between kisses. He moved his knee between her legs, lifting her slightly higher above him for easier access.

"I thought you said I was crazy." Veronica countered, looking down at him.

"Same thing, right?" He kissed the base of her neck, smirking against the skin there. Veronica didn't say anything in response, already lost again to the sensations running through her body. Then her hands found their way to his belt, which she fumbled with unbuckling.

"Take off your pants." She insisted, and he quickly obliged to help her out. His free hand pulled off his belt and then made quick work of his zipper. Veronica waisted no time in shoving down his boxers and pants, at least far enough down that he could kick them off in the water. They floated to the surface beside them. He felt her take him in her hands and now it was his turn to tremble, to feel absolutely overwhelmed with passion and pleasure. He hooked his thumbs on the waistband of her black panties, sliding them down until they were no more.

"So, again..." Jughead exhaled deeply, "You're sure about this?"

"Jughead." Veronica glared at him. "Shut up." She silenced him with another kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hoisting herself up and straight onto his rock hard member. He obeyed, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he adjusted to the feeling of being inside her. He gripped the edge of the pool with one hand for balance and placed the other on her hip, guiding her up and down against him, in and out of the water.

"Fuck. Veronica." He couldn't keep quiet anymore, the feeling, the sight, the everything of her was too much. "You feel so good." He didn't miss the confident look in her eyes. She looked so fucking pleased with herself and it only aroused him further. He grunted and thrusted into her deeper, matching her quickening pace.

"I'm going to come," Veronica moaned, digging her nails deeper into his shoulders, her pace becoming more frantic. She felt the fire slowly burning up inside of her, and it was ready to come out. "Ah-ahhh" She started to moan, feeling the first wave of her orgasm coming to a crescendo before crashing down upon her, again, and again, and again. Relentless. "Jughead," She said his name breathlessly, gratefully, as if she were thanking him for curing cancer rather than simply giving her the best orgasm she'd had in recent memory. He wasn't complaining. The sight and sound of her in so much pleasure in his hands was enough to send him over the edge too, and he buckled against her briefly before pulling out and spilling his seed into the pool.

The janitors were going to have a hell of a mess to clean up on Monday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1.) I started writing this chapter before some of the recent episodes where Reggie is super aggro. Let's just say he chilled out a bit as an adult, although his new connection with Hiram works quite well for this fic.
> 
> 2.) Can you spot the Black Mirror reference?

It had been a little over a month since the wedding and since the last time Veronica had stepped her high heeled feet back in Riverdale. Archie and Betty weren't kidding when they said they were moving back and they were serious about their dinner invitations, so here she was, gently cradling a box of Magnolia Cupcakes in her lap as her town car pulled up in the Cooper's driveway.

Veronica rang the doorbell, tapping her heels impatiently as the chimes echoed inside the house. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps from the other side and prepped a megawatt smile for her two best friends. It was almost scary how good she had become at faking enthusiasm over the years, especially around the other couple. However, instead of being greeted by the two newlyweds a disheveled brunette in a beanie opened the door, and she nearly dropped the cupcakes onto the Cooper's welcome mat in response.

"Oh. It's you."

 

* * * * * * *

 

The last time she had seen Jughead Jones, they were soaking wet and standing outside the conservatory's reception hall, which was in the process of being deconstructed from the wedding earlier that evening. There was one circular table that hadn't been put away, and sitting at that table was her husband, staring worriedly at his phone.

Jughead shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I should probably-"

"You should probably go." Veronica finished for him, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah." He bit his lip, uncertain if he should hug her or say something. It felt weird to simply say "bye" after everything that happened tonight. "Um, maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, maybe." Veronica replied icily. She honestly wasn't sure that she would. They lived in separate cities and led separate lives. He must've sensed her cynicism because he looked almost hurt by it as he turned to leave. "Jughead," She softened, "Thank you. For tonight. I really needed this."

"Sure thing, Veronica." He offered her a small smile and a half-hearted wave before spinning on his heels and making himself scarce, leaving a trail of water drops on the pavement behind him.

Veronica sighed and crept back inside the reception hall. Startled by the sight of his wife, Reggie Mantle quickly stood up, rushing over to her.

"Ronnie, I've been worried sick. Where were you? And why is your hair wet?" He pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her shivering body.

"I just... I wanted to see the rest of the gardens and... I got lost." Veronica lied. It came out so naturally. "And then a sprinkler went off on me. Just my luck." She shrugged helplessly. Reggie looked at her skeptically for a moment but then seemed to decide the whole ordeal wasn't worth prying into. He knew that Betty and Archie's relationship brought out complicated feelings in Veronica and if taking a nighttime stroll through the gardens made his wife feel better about it, then so be it.

"Okay, well... Betty was pretty bummed she didn't get to see you before they left for their honeymoon. I'll let Archie know I found you but you should probably text her when we get back." He glanced at his phone, texting the driver to come around front to pick them up. "Let's go home?"

"Let's go home." Veronica agreed, slipping her hand into his.

 

* * * * * * *

 

"Veronica." Jughead looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. "Sorry, I thought you were the pizza guy."

Veronica didn't know what to be more irritated about— the fact that Betty didn't mention that Jughead was coming to dinner or the fact that they made her come out all this way for freaking Domino's.

"Ronnie! Hey." Archie appeared behind his friend. "We're so glad you made it." He pulled her into a quick hug and led her inside the house. "Don't worry about the pizza thing. Betty's just been craving Joe's ever since we got back, so we thought we'd make it Italian night. We ordered some pizza but she's also prepping her grandma's signature lasagna recipe."

"Got it." Veronica smiled uneasily. She felt a little better about dinner, but that still didn't explain... Jughead. "I didn't realize Jughead would be joining us... is there anyone else coming?" She asked hopefully, slipping her heels off in the foyer.

"No. Just the core four." Archie said proudly. Jughead and Veronica both looked at him in confusion. "Remember? At the wedding? We talked about this." Archie gestured in a circle at the group of them, "We agreed that the four of us were going to have dinner after we got back from our honeymoon. How drunk were you guys?" He joked, taking the box of cupcakes from Veronica's hands.

"Uh, right, yeah." Jughead nodded. "I guess I had a little too much to drink."

"Same. I mean, weddings, right?" Veronica laughed nervously.

"You gave us a scare there, Ronnie." Archie looked at her kindly, almost like an older brother. That's what their relationship had become, this clinically platonic idea of closeness. "We were worried something bad might have happened to you. I mean, we love Riverdale but we all know you can never be to careful here."

"Oh, no need to worry Archie-kins." Veronica reassured him. "Nothing bad happened to me."

"Would you say something good happened to you?" Jughead asked, feigning curiosity and glancing up at the ceiling innocently.

"I would say I got lost." Veronica replied tightly, "But I won't be so careless next time." She turned back to Archie. "Reggie sends his regards. Daddy has him working late on this big Dubai deal."

"Well, that's understandable. You can't say no to Hiram Lodge." Archie joked. Though he felt bad for Reggie, he truly felt he had dodged a bullet there. "Hey, I'm going to check on Betty and see if she needs anything. You two make yourselves at home." He darted into the kitchen, leaving the pair standing there awkwardly.

"Uh, so... long time, no see." Jughead scratched the back of his head, making more eye contact with the floor than the woman standing next to him.

"Can you just... act normal so we can get through this dinner and then be on with our very separate lives?" Veronica whispered, clasping her hands together pleadingly. "Please?"

"First of all, I'm never normal." Jughead reminded her. "Second of all, separate lives? Our exes are married to our best friends and we had mind-blowing sex on their wedding night. You can't get anymore interconnected than that."

"Can you not!?" Veronica clasped her hand over his mouth. "Do not mention the *S* word. Or I swear to God I will poison your cupcake."

"Okay, okay." Jughead held his hands up defensively. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Hey guys!" Betty's smiling face popped into the foyer. "Everything okay in here? Dinner's ready."

"Everything's peachy, B." Veronica matched Betty's enthusiasm with her most charming smile and made a move towards the dining room— though not before throwing one last look over her shoulder and giving Jughead her most threatening glare.

 

* * * * * * *

 

"I'm so happy the gang's all back together." Betty sighed, looking back and forth between Veronica and Jughead. "To the core four." She gracefully extended her hand, wine glass in tow.

"To the core four." The other three repeated, clinking glasses before digging into their pizza and pasta. Veronica delicately cut at her slice with a knife and fork while Jughead folded his in half hamburger style and unceremoniously shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

"It's too bad Reggie couldn't make it." Archie offered, eating his pizza like a normal human being.

"Yeah, a real shame." Jughead added sarcastically. His mouth was still full of pizza as he reached for his next slice. Archie and Veronica both threw warning looks in his direction while Betty, who had no real attachment to Reggie and honestly remembered him as nothing more than a prick in high school, tried to conceal her amusement. "What?" Jughead shrugged, "It's not called the core five."

Archie opened his mouth to say something but Betty beat him to the punch, eager to keep the conversation civil. "So Veronica," she began, leaning her chin on her hand and looking at her best friend curiously, "How are things with you and Reggie lately? I know it sucks that he's always having to travel for work, but... he seems really committed to making up for it. At least, it seemed that way from what he told us at the wedding."

"Honestly, Betty..." Veronica set down her knife and fork and looked around at her friends with the most self-satisfied smile. "Things have never been better. You're totally right, it's like ever since the wedding he's just been so... attentive." Veronica sighed. "He's actually planning a surprise trip for us after we close the Dubai deal. He won't let me know where, but... my fingers are crossed for the Maldives. I could really use a beach vacay."

"Veronica, that's amazing!" Betty grinned, happy that Veronica was happy— and admittedly, a little bit relieved too. While Veronica had supported her and Archie's union from the beginning, she had always done so with Reggie by her side. While she didn't doubt that Veronica was fine with her and Archie now, the truth is that she didn't know what would happen with Reggie out of the picture. Dissatisfaction in her marriage was exactly the type of thing that would bring "Old Veronica" back out of hiding. Reggie kept things stable, and while she didn't see what either Archie or Veronica saw in him, she was grateful for his presence in their lives nonetheless. Without Reggie, Veronica may have ended up more like their other guest at the dinner table. Jughead, ever the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, didn't take the news of Archie and Betty dating nearly as well as Veronica had. What Betty couldn't figure out was whether it was the part of him that wouldn't let go that prevented him from finding someone new, or was it the lack of anyone special in his life that forced him to hold on to the past? "Jughead," Betty turned those curious blue eyes on him, "What about you? How's the Riverdale dating scene these days?"

Jughead shook his head, taking a moment to wipe the tomato sauce off his mouth with a napkin. "Well let's see..." He leaned back in his chair and looked up thoughtfully. "Most people in this town married their high school sweethearts before the age of 24, so... at 28 my options are mostly divorcées or sugar babies. Oh, except you can't really have a sugar baby on a teacher's salary. Hmm."

"Oh come on, Jug." Archie hit him in the shoulder playfully. "You definitely won't attract anyone with an attitude like that." He reached for another helping of the baked pasta on the table. "What about trying out one of those dating apps? They're pretty sophisticated now. I read that there's one which runs a 100 unique simulations of how your relationship could possibly turn out and then presents you with the success rate." Everyone at the table looked at Archie like he was crazy, "You know, so you know whether or not it's worth your time..." He shrugged and helped himself to a forkful of lasagna.

"At the end of the day it's still just swipe right or swipe left." Jughead replied in disdain. "Whatever happened to the whirlwind romance? You know, just... randomly meeting someone one night and knowing your whole life is about to change? Or running into someone from your past but the timing wasn't right then, but now..." His gaze briefly flickered to Veronica, who seemed very determined to avoid eye contact. "Is it that old-fashioned of me to want things to develop naturally?"

"No, it's not." Archie agreed. "I'm totally with you, Jug." He turned and smiled sweetly at Betty. "I'm sure the right person for you is out there, somewhere."

"Well, I appreciate the concern but seriously guys, you don't need to worry about me. I've been alone most of my life and I'm pretty used to it." Naturally, Jughead's attempt at lightening the mood only served to make things more awkward.

"Um... well if everyone's finished, I can clear the dishes and then we can have dessert?" Betty offered, forcing a smile and sitting up in her seat.

"Oh my god, Betty, no." Veronica reached for her plate. "You've been cooking all afternoon. Please, let me do the dishes. I insist."

"Veronica's right," Jughead chimed in, nearly knocking over his chair as he shot up out of his seat and stacked Archie's plate on top of his own. "You guys just relax and we'll take care of the dishes."

"But you're our guests-" Betty tried to protest, but Jughead had already grabbed the rest of their plates, a handful of glasses, and was now ushering Veronica out of the dining room.

"Too late!"

 

* * * * * * *

 

Jughead had his sleeves rolled up and was elbow-deep in dish water, while Veronica stood to his left, silently drying the dishes he handed to her and placing them neatly back in the Cooper's cupboards.

"So..." Jughead turned and handed her a new plate, "things have never been better with Reggie, huh?" Veronica tried to take the plate from him, but he held onto it firmly, waiting for an answer.

"Not that it's any of your business, but... yes. Things are really, _really_ good." She used both hands to forcefully tug the plate out of his grip.

"Well it's kind of a crazy coincidence. You were questioning your happiness at the wedding, and then we had s— then we _hung out_ ," Jughead corrected, "and now everything's wonderful." He leaned against the side of the sink. "Crazy."

"What's your point?" Veronica asked, trying to feign nonchalance although the way she had been furiously drying the same plate for the last minute was giving away just how bothered she really was by his needling.

"My point is..." Jughead took a step towards her, reaching around so he could take the plate out of her hands and set it down gently on the counter. He leaned in closely, speaking barely above a whisper next to her ear. "How long do you think that's going to last?"

Veronica didn't say anything in response, but she didn't move away from him either.

"Are you staying at the Pembrooke tonight?" Jughead asked quietly, turning so that he was leaning with his back against the counter.

Veronica bit her lip, as if she were contemplating her next words carefully. She exhaled, answering a question he hadn't even asked aloud. "Fine." She turned to face him, "We should... probably talk."

"Talk?"

"Talk." Veronica insisted. "Clearly you have a lot you want to get off your chest and I'd really rather you not spill your guts in the Coopers' dining room."

"Okay."

"But not at the Pembrooke." Veronica clarified. "The last thing I need is the new doorman telling my parents about an unexpected visitor. Do you remember how to get to the lake house?"

"More or less." Jughead nodded, "That's a bit far-"

"And therefore perfect." Veronica cut him off. "Meet me there at midnight." She turned and reached for the box of cupcakes sitting on the counter. "Now if you'll excuse me... I'd like to get back to Archie and Betty before they get the wrong idea."

 

* * * * * * *

 

It was five past midnight when Jughead pulled up in front of the lake house. Shadow Lake was about an hour and a half outside of Riverdale, but with no traffic to contend with he made it there faster than expected. The wooden lodge stood intimidating in the darkness before him; the only tell-tale sign of life was a candle set outside on the front porch.

He only had to knock once on the solid oak door before it opened, revealing Veronica in an orange silk robe and matching negligee. She had been expecting him. "You're late." She grabbed him by the collar of his flannel shirt, pulling him inside and wasting no time in pressing her lips hungrily against his. The door slammed shut behind them.

Ever since the wedding this raven haired woman had haunted his dreams. On more than one occasion in the past month he had woken up in a cold sweat, embarrassed at his over-active imagination. To feel her for real, in his hands, was a reminder that he wasn't crazy; he didn't make up that night in the pool. It had actually happened. _This_ was actually happening.

Veronica pulled away from him, taking her hand in his and leading him towards the lodge's wooden staircase. Jughead stopped, pulling her back towards him. "No," he shook his head, cupping her head in his hands and kissing her greedily. "Here." It was that sinking feeling again, the one he got every time he was with her. That this was too good to be true, that it could all be over before it even began. He didn't want to waste any time. He wrapped one arm around her waist and hooked the other underneath her legs, hoisting the petite brunette onto the dining table behind them. Veronica arched an eyebrow, clearly impressed, and pulled him into the space between her legs.

His hand slid up from her waist to her shoulder, slowly sliding the thin strap off one side and then the other. The silky scrap of fabric they had been holding up pooled at her waist, baring the golden curves of her chest. For a moment, it felt like his breath was caught in his throat. He reached out, gently cupping her breast with his right hand and flicking his thumb across her nipple, feeling it harden at his touch. He leaned forward, returning his lips to hers briefly for a soft kiss before trailing butterfly kisses down her exposed neck and shoulders and eventually landing at her other breast, upon which he bestowed all of his attention.

Veronica arched her back, leaning her head towards the ceiling and letting out a soft moan. It was perplexing, that this man could be the source of so much pleasure. That he could make her feel things that her own husband hadn't in years. _Her husband_. Veronica furrowed her brow at the thought of him, feeling herself slip out of her reverie. But then Jughead dropped to his knees in front of her and she was sucked right back in, unable to think of anything else let alone think properly at all.

 

* * * * * * *

 

Veronica's eyes blinked open to the steady stream of sunlight pouring in from the lake house's grandeur windows. The fragrant smell and sound of sizzling bacon infiltrated her senses, coaxing her to consciousness. She pushed herself to a sitting position on the living room couch, looking at the pile of discarded cushions and clothes dotting the Persian rug all around her as memories of last night trickled into clarity.

Unlike last time, these were as clear as a Riverdale summer— no copious amounts of champagne could be blamed for clouding her recollection. She distinctly remembered every kiss and every touch, shivering at the realization of how much she wanted them. Veronica picked up her silk robe from the floor and hastily threw it over her arms, belting it at the waist as she quietly padded towards the kitchen. She paused in the entryway, leaning against the door jamb and taking in the sight of him.

Jughead, clad in only a wife beater and a pair of checkered boxers, was hovering over the stove with a ferocious sense of concentration. He looked up, suddenly noticing her presence. "Morning."

"Morning." Veronica repeated, stepping into the kitchen and looking at him curiously.

"I hope you like bacon and eggs because that's all I could find in the fridge."

"Yeah, the Lodges aren't really much for home cooking." Veronica explained, taking a seat at the round wooden table in the back of the kitchen. "We just keep the fridge stocked in case we have to use the lodge as a safe house."

"That's... totally normal." Jughead replied, tilting the frying pan to one side so that the grease would run away from the bacon. He figured Veronica was the type who took her bacon lean. Using a spatula he transferred the eggs and bacon to two plates and carried them over to the table, setting one down in front of Veronica before plopping down across from her with the other. "Bon appétit."

Veronica smiled softly at her food, picking at the orange globe on her fried eggs with her fork and watching the runny yolk bleed out over the rest of her plate. It was kind of cute that Jughead stuck around to make her breakfast, although it was also a bit presumptuous. Didn't he know that the societal norm for a one night stand was to bounce before breakfast? _Well, technically it's now a two night stand..._

"Jughead. What are we doing?" Veronica asked, setting down her fork. In the time it had taken her to leave most of her food untouched, Jughead had nearly cleaned his plate. He swallowed whatever remnants of eggs and bacon were left in his mouth and washed them down with a deep swig of orange juice.

"Uh, well I think we're two adults trying to cope with our existential loneliness by taking comfort in more carnal pleasures."

"I wasn't looking for a dictionary definition, Freud." Veronica looked unamused. "I mean..." She looked down at her hands, at the wedding ring she hadn't even bothered to take off in the heat of the moment last night. "Don't you feel guilty knowing that I'm married?"

Jughead looked at her thoughtfully. "I feel like I should feel worse than I actually do." He admitted. "At first I thought maybe it didn't bother me as much as it should because it's Reggie, but... that's not it." He bit his lip. "Maybe it's because growing up in Riverdale, I've never actually seen a successful marriage. Have you?" Veronica shook her head slowly. "My mom left my dad. Mrs. Andrews left Mr. Andrews. The Coopers were a train-wreck. Mayor McCoy and Sheriff Keller were having an affair. Your mom... well, you know. I guess when The Blossoms are the closest thing you've seen to a functional marriage, your moral calibration could probably use some fine tuning."

"Yeah, but... Jughead, are we just repeating their mistakes?"

"Maybe you are." Jughead shrugged, picking at the little crumbs of bacon on his plate. Veronica felt a shot of discomfort in her chest, and a pinprick of tears threatening to fall from her eyes, hot and sudden. She wrapped her arms around herself defensively, wiping at her eyes and refusing to look Jughead in the eye. She didn't know what she was more hurt by— the fact that he had the nerve to say something like that, or the fact that he was probably right. "Oh, shit. Veronica, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." He gesticulated nervously, trying to find the words. "I just mean, maybe this..." He motioned between the two of them, "maybe this is the good thing. Or at the very least, the lesser evil out of the many evils we've been surrounded by our entire adult lives." She furrowed her brow in confusion, so he continued. "Ever since I've known you, you've always put other people's happiness before your own. Your father's, your mother's, Archie's. Where has it gotten you?"

"You don't know how I was before you met me, Jughead." Veronica sighed, shaking her head. "I've done the selfish thing before, nothing good comes out of it."

" _This_ is something good, Veronica." Jughead insisted, reaching forward and taking her hand in his across the table. "All I'm saying is maybe this, whatever this is, isn't the problem that you're making it out to be. Maybe your marriage... is the thing you should figure out."

"So, what, you want me to end my marriage after we've slept together, what, twice?" Veronica asked incredulously.

"I mean, we can do it more if it makes you feel better." Jughead joked. Veronica tried to muster up her most severe glower but she couldn't fight the ridiculous grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh my god." Veronica covered her face with her hands. "What am I doing?"

"Having _fun_." Jughead peeled her hands away from her face by taking both of hers in his. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Who are you?" Veronica laughed, "I thought Jughead Jones beat himself up about *everything.*"

"Yeah." Jughead conceded, "and where did that get him?"

"Look, Veronica... honestly, life in Riverdale has been pretty dull since you all moved away. Ever since the wedding, things have suddenly gotten interesting again." He stared down at the kitchen table, somewhat bashfully. "I'm not delusional, I'm not banking on being the next Mr. Lodge. I don't think either of us want that." He gave her a knowing smirk, "But I am bored and pitifully available and if I can help you figure some stuff out for yourself... consider me down. You can... use me."

"Well." Veronica exhaled, "With a proposition like that, who needs romance?" She straightened up in her seat and looked at him thoughtfully. "Okay. Ground rules. We need them."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Jughead replied, folding his hands together.

"One. We only meet here, at the lake house. Not at the trailer, not at the Pembrooke. Outside of whatever social obligations Betty and Archie put us up to, if we run into each other anywhere else in Riverdale we can greet each other cordially, but that's it."

"Understood."

"Two. Betty and Archie cannot _ever_ know about this."

"Couldn't agree more."

"Three... when we're done, we're done. We don't owe each other any explanations. We go back to our separate lives, like none of this ever happened."

" _Tabula rasa._ " Jughead winked.

"And four... no falling in love."

"That clause always works so well in the movies." Jughead joked, though the heat of Veronica's intense stare cut him off. "Okay, okay, got it. You wanna draw up a contract or...?"

"Your verbal agreement will do." Veronica reassured him, leaning back into her chair. "So—" before she could get another word out the chimes of the lake house's doorbell cut her off and Veronica sat up straight in her seat.

"Who... is that?" Jughead asked skeptically.

"Fuck. It's probably Jérôme, my driver." Veronica tightened the sash on her robe. "I told him I'd be ready to leave by nine. I didn't think you'd stick around." She scurried into the living room, picking up the rest of Jughead's clothes and tossing it at him. "Just go hide somewhere for like two minutes?"

Jughead made himself scarce while Veronica rushed over to the door, opening it just a crack and poking her head out.

"Ready to head out, Ms. Lodge?"

"Jérôme! I'm so sorry, I totally overslept. I guess I let myself get a little _too_ relaxed up here. Can you give me ten minutes to pack my things?"

"Of course, Mrs. Lodge." Veronica was about to shut the door when the kind older man interrupted her, "Should I be concerned about the station wagon parked out front?" He gestured to the beat-up Oldsmobile parked a little ways down the driveway. _Shit._ They really needed to be more careful going forward.

"Oh, I think the neighbors are getting a little too used to no one being here. I'll tell the groundskeeper to have a little chat with them." Jérôme seemed to buy her excuse and nodded politely before mozying back over toward the town car.

Veronica shut the door and fell back against it, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply. _It's fine. This is fine._ So she hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I AM THE WORST. 
> 
> Sorry it took me so long to update. I had grandeur plans to work on this all summer but then ended up picking up a freelance job that took up 90% of my time! That's almost over and I have a solid outline for where I want this fic to go so hopefully the updates won't be as spaced out going forward. I hope. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the new chapter! The plot thickens...

Veronica exhaled deeply, letting out a soft whimper of pleasure as Jughead trailed his lips down the side of her neck. She arched her back up against his chest, feeling slightly delirious as he traced his fingers down the side of her hip before swooping them under the silky material of her dress. Her breath hitched in anticipation when she felt them traveling towards her inner thigh, to the place she needed him most. "Oh, Jughead..." She was so close and she could barely stand it.

"You like that?" Jughead mumbled against the crook of her neck. He drew languid circles against the outside of her panties, tracing the lace pattern with his finger and teasing her relentlessly. "Babe?"

 _Babe?_ Veronica frowned. Jughead never called her babe. That was.. that was a Reggie thing. Veronica pushed herself away from Jughead, spinning around to face him only to find that it was no longer Jughead holding her in his arms but her husband— and his face was contorted and flush with anger. His grip around her arms tightened and Veronica winced at the pain as she tried to wrestle herself free from it. Reggie was stronger though and easily pulled her back into his clutches despite her protests. His arms enveloped her, crushing her lungs and causing her to gasp for air. It was suffocating. "Reggie..." Veronica pleaded, but she found no sympathy in his eyes. Just a vindictive smile as he pressed his lips up against her ear and whispered...

"Isn't this what you want, babe?"

 

* * * * *

 

"Babe?" Reggie shook his wife gently, hoping to slowly rouse her but instead Veronica bolted into an upright position, looking around at her surroundings with a startled expression. It has her bed; her room. And her husband. The real one. The one who would never hurt her like that.

"Reggie." Veronica exhaled, her expression softening at the sight of him kneeling by her bed side. A pang of guilt knotted itself inside her stomach.

"Good morning." He pushed a few stray strands of her dark hair behind her ear. "You looked like you were having a good dream, I didn't want to wake you, but..." He held up his wrist watch, a black and gold Rolex that Veronica's father had gifted him as an engagement gift. "I'm gonna be late for my one-on-one with your dad."

"Ugh," Veronica groaned, closing her eyes and running a hand through her hair. "That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"Tell me about it." Reggie smirked. "Hey, what are you doing after work? I was thinking maybe we could get dinner... just the two of us? It's been awhile." He tilted his head to the side, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh," Veronica was slightly surprised at the proposition. He was clearly making an effort. _Isn't that what you wanted?_ Well, at one point it had been. Now, she wasn't so sure that was enough to fix things. Now, she wasn't so sure she _wanted_ to fix things. Either way, she already had plans for tonight. "I'm actually getting dinner with my mom tonight." Veronica explained, offering him an apologetic smile. "She insisted."

"Ah, of course. Well, give Hermione my regards." Reggie leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on the top of her forehead before pushing himself up to a standing position. "See you at the office." He grabbed his suitcase by the bedroom door and quickly vanished. Upon hearing the front door slam shut from down the hall Veronica exhaled deeply, sinking back into her sheets.

For all his flaws, at the end of the day Reggie had been a loyal husband, and a friend. She knew that he didn't deserve this. She had seen Jughead two more times since their foray at the lake house, but the solution to her marital problems wasn't becoming any clearer. When Reggie was around and attentive, it made her think that there was a chance things might improve. He'd close the Dubai deal. They'd run away somewhere and rekindle their romance. It would be how it used to be, when they first started dating. She'd remind him that what they had was more important than his career, or her father's business. But the cynical, or perhaps simply realistic side of her would think... if it took _all_ that to make Reggie the man she needed him to be, what chance did they really have?

Veronica sighed, pushing herself out of bed and walking over to her vanity. She sat down on the plush ottoman and ran a brush through her dark hair, smoothing it out.

 _After the Dubai deal closes_. That's when she would make her decision. This thing with Jughead couldn't keep going on forever. Her and Reggie would go on their getaway and depending on how things went... she would either leave, or she would re-commit.

Feeling slightly better having now made this mental ultimatum, Veronica glided over to her walk-in closet with a little pep in her step. She pulled out a classic, professional looking scarlet red sheath dress and a pair of patent leather heels and got ready for work.

 

* * * * *

 

Veronica gracefully crossed the street at West Broadway, an oversized leather tote in one hand and a Starbucks skim latte in the other. One of the perks of living in Tribeca was being able to walk to the office. Two more blocks north and her father would've forced her to take a town car because a Lodge shouldn't be seen "schlepping" with the rest of the city's commuters. Veronica was running through a mental checklist of the day's tasks when something— or rather someone— caught her eye from further down the block. She tightened her grip on her latte, almost popping off the lid.

She'd recognize that beanie anywhere.

Veronica quickened her pace, strutting angrily down the block until she came up behind the man, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing him to turn around and face her.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?! We had an _agreement_ — and this isn't the lake house, stalker." Veronica folded her arms, glowering expectantly at Jughead.

"Uh-what? Veronica, I-?" Jughead Jones looked just as confused as she was. It was then that Veronica noticed the group of fifteen or so teenagers standing behind him, eyebrows raised, snickering to themselves.

"Mr. Jones, do you know this crazy lady?" One of them asked bluntly, eliciting a few more stifled giggles from the group.

"Uh, um..." Jughead clasped his hands together slowly before gesturing towards Veronica. "This is Veronica Lodge, one of Riverdale High's most esteemed and successful alumni. She um—" Jughead looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, what exactly is it that you do again?"

"Public. Relations." Veronica replied tightly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed as the pieces began to fall into place and she realized what was going on.

"Field trip." Jughead explained. "We were actually on our way to the 9/11 memorial."

"Oh." Veronica blushed, feeling ridiculous. "Me too, actually."

"Huh?" Jughead looked at her in confusion and Veronica pointed a finger upwards at the tall glass building at the end of the block. "Oh. _Oh_. You work at One World Trade?"

"Only the best for Lodge Industries." Veronica mumbled awkwardly.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" One of the teenage girls in the group approached her. "What's public relations?"

"Well," Veronica looked at the girl thoughtfully. "It's basically being good at bullshit." The girl dropped her jaw in surprise at Veronica's language. "I wouldn't recommend it." Veronica added, taking a sip of her latte.

"Okkkkayy then." Jughead cut her off, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Cassidy, can you give us a minute?" The girl nodded and pranced off to join her classmates who were now sufficiently distracted by a street performer dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

"So," Veronica took a step towards him, suddenly feeling opportunistic. She was a Lodge after all. "Since you're here... are you going to be chaperoning all day or..."

"Well I'm putting the kids on the bus back to Riverdale at three. I was thinking of hanging around the city a little bit, but uh..." He bit his lip, "we had an 'agreement' and I wouldn't want to break any rules. Or be a stalker." He smirked, eager to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Ugh, okay, I'm sorry for freaking out." Veronica apologized, tilting her head to the side. "You never mentioned that you were coming to the city."

"We didn't really do much talking last time we saw each other." Jughead admitted. Veronica looked away, trying to hide the stupid smile on her face. "What's your schedule like?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. Veronica pulled out her iPhone, navigating to her Calendar app and perusing the day's agenda for an open slot.

"I'm free at four." Veronica slid her phone back into her leather tote and then reached into her blazer pocket, pulling out a business card and handing it to him. "Come by."

"72nd floor. I'm impressed." Jughead raised his eyebrows, running a finger over Veronica's embossed name on the card. "Is this... you know, safe?"

"Don't worry, no one... _important_ ever comes by the marketing department." Veronica explained dryly.

"4pm then." Jughead pocketed the business card. He flashed Veronica a quick wink before turning around and walking over to his students. "Duncan, stop trying to flash the Statue of Liberty. Do us all a favor and keep your pants on while we're in the museum, please."

 

* * * * *

 

The rest of Veronica's day progressed slowly. She darted from meeting to meeting, sent out multiple press releases about new Lodge properties opening up later this year, and prepared a statement for the Times in response to allegations of union busting. When she had a moment to herself in her office she stared at the clock, watching it tick down torturously. Four p.m. seemed so far away.

"Mrs. Lodge, you have a visitor." Her assistant's voice rang over the intercom. Veronica frowned. It was only two-thirty, Jughead was far too early. She pressed the speaker button, about to inquire who it was when her assistant beat her to the punch. "It's your husband."

"Let him in." Veronica replied, sinking back into her seat. A few seconds later Reggie's head appeared behind the door to her office, followed by the rest of him. "What are you doing here?" Veronica asked curiously, "You're pretty far from the Business floor. If you're gone too long my dad might put out an Amber alert."

"Ha ha," Reggie replied sarcastically, striding over to her desk. "I'm not your dad's bitch, okay?"

"Really? Could've fooled me." Veronica tilted her head to the side, looking at him expectantly.

"Actually my 2:30 got cancelled and I thought I'd come spend some quality time with my beautiful wife." Reggie sat down on the edge of her desk, picking up a prism glass paperweight and turning it over in his hands.

"And what if _I_ was busy?" Veronica asked, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.

"I figured I'd be a welcome distraction." He leaned forward, reaching out a hand and cupping the side of her face. "I miss you, Ronnie."

"We see each other almost every day." Veronica replied quietly, looking down at her shoes. Reggie tiled her chin up with his hand.

"I still miss you." He pulled her chair towards him before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. Veronica sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her. Reggie groaned, running his hands down the side of her dress as Veronica's hands snaked their way down to the collar of his dress shirt.

Veronica could feel a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. A mix of guilt, nervousness, and desire. It'd be so long since he'd held her like this, and truth be told Reggie's aggressive side was one of the first things that attracted her to him. It was a shame to see it slowly tamed over the years, broken in by her father of all people. Maybe this was a sign, a ray of hope that the man she married was still in there somewhere.

And then his phone rang.

"Ignore it." Veronica mumbled, pulling him in for another kiss. Reggie complied, reaching into his pocket to hit the ignore button before returning his attention to his wife. However, mere seconds later his phone went off again. Veronica pulled away hastily, reaching into Reggie's pocket and unceremoniously chucking his phone across her office. It hit her door with a clang and then landed on the carpeted floor with a thud. "Now where were we..."

"Mrs. Lodge?" Her assistant suddenly rang over the intercom. "Mr. Lodge just called looking for Mr. Mantle. I told him he was with you but uh, well, he says it's urgent."

"Of course it is." Veronica groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Reggie mouthed, smoothing out his dress shirt and disentangling himself from Veronica. "Duty calls."

"And Daddy doesn't like to be kept waiting." Veronica replied lightly, trying to hide her disappointment. She smoothed out Reggie's collar and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you back at the apartment later tonight." Reggie promised, picking up his iPhone by the door before making his exit. Even after her office door swung itself shut, Veronica could hear his footsteps clacking against the office's marble floors as her husband ran off in search of the more important Lodge in his life.

 

* * * * *

 

Jughead looked back and forth between the business card in his hands and the complicated building directory before him. There must've been over a hundred businesses housed in One World Trade, each with their own dedicated elevator. He scanned the list a third time before finally coming across _Lodge Industries... Elevator A_. "Of course, could've just gone with my first guess." Jughead mumbled to himself, making his way over to the bank of elevators labeled A-F and tapping the button for the first one.

About thirty seconds later the elevator arrived at the seventy-second floor, the gilded doors parting to reveal an expansive white marble lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows angled around its left side. Directly in front of him at the end of the room was the reception desk, made out of the same marble as the floor, as if it were a piece that a sculptor had molded upwards and then back down again on the other side. He made his way over to it, and when he came close enough he saw that behind the desk was a young woman with her platinum hair pulled back into severe looking ponytail, and skin as white as the marble all around them. With his plaid flannel shirt and knit beanie, Jughead felt like a fish out of water in this place, which seemed more like a museum— or maybe a mausoleum.

"Uh, excuse me." Jughead cleared his throat, "I'm here to see Veronica Lodge." The girl, who must not have noticed him until he spoke, suddenly appeared startled.

"Oh!" She adjusted her frameless glasses and held up her iPad close to her face, skimming it's contents. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Um, I was told to come here at 4..."

"Oh! Oh!" The frazzled receptionist put down the iPad, looking at him apologetically. "You must be her 4 o'clock. The tech billionaire." Jughead's eyes narrowed in confusion. She eyed him up and down. "You certainly look like one." She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed an extension— presumably Veronica. "Mrs. Lodge? Your 4 o'clock is here. Should I send him in?" A pause. "Okie dokie then." She grinned back at him, "Go ahead. Head right and her office's at the end of the hall. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." Jughead replied awkwardly, offering the receptionist a half-wave before making his way towards Veronica's office. She was right— you really couldn't miss it. Not with the huge, embossed golden letters against the frosted glass door that read "Veronica Lodge, Chief Communications Officer". Jughead pushed the door open slightly, discreetly, and slipped through.

"Do you ever arrive anywhere on time?" Veronica was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of her office, arms folded. "I watched you run up the block a few minutes ago."

"Uh, sorry." Jughead replied sheepishly. "I am perpetually late. Unless there's food involved." He approached the window, taking in the rest of her office on his way. The tufted cream colored chaise by the front, her oval desk— minimally covered with a few paperweights that might as well have been bars of gold and a snowy white Apple monitor. There was also a framed photograph of her and Reggie on their wedding day, which he tried to ignore but kept stealing glances at out of curiosity. "So... tech billionaire, huh?"

"Sorry about that. I just needed a believable reason someone in a beanie would have an appointment with my office." Veronica explained. "I didn't want Angelica getting suspicious. God, she's so nosy." Veronica scoffed, shaking her head.

Jughead came up to the window, looking out at the sunny-speckled water of the Hudson river, and the tiny yellow cars racing around on the streets below. "So this is where you work. I must say I'm impressed. Corner office? Downtown Manhattan? You're living the dream."

"And yet..." Veronica sighed, leaning her head against the window and looking at him pensively. "I feel most alive when I'm in Riverdale." Jughead looked up, offering her a soft smile. He reached forward, taking her arm in his hand and pulling her closer towards him.

"Well today, Riverdale has come to you." He closed the distance between them with a kiss and Veronica felt something frozen inside of her begin to thaw. God, she needed this. She looped her arms around Jughead's neck, pulling him in closer and deepening the kiss while pressing her entire body up against his. Yes, she was also a bit frustrated after her earlier encounter with Reggie. She felt a little bit guilty about the fact that her husband had gotten her riled up for another man, but truthfully, she could've gone throughout the day dry as a desert down there and within a few seconds of seeing him, Jughead would still have her wet and wanting him. The sex was _that_ good.

Jughead turned their bodies so that her back was flush up against the glass windows, and buried his lips against the crook of her neck— a spot he had recently discovered drove her mad. As expected, the brunette trembled in response and arched her neck to the side give him even more access to the golden stretch of skin above her collarbone. Jughead's hands reached around to the back of her dress, fumbling in search of the zipper for a few seconds before finding it and sliding it down the top half of her body. He tugged the sleeves off her shoulders, revealing her breasts propped up in a matching red lace bra. The rest of Veronica's dress bunched up around her waist.

"Do you think anyone can see us up here?" Jughead breathed in between kisses, acquainting himself with the newly exposed parts of her.

"Do you think I'd be letting you get away with this if they could?" Veronica replied breathily, leaning her head back against the glass wall. She grabbed his shoulders and hoisted herself up, wrapping her legs around his waist and feeling a satisfying hardness in between.

Which was precisely when her desk phone rang, it's shrill screech startling Jughead, who almost dropped her a result.

"Mrs. Lodge?" Angelica's nervous voice flitted through the intercom. "Your mother is here."

"What the?" Veronica pushed Jughead away from her and ran over the desk, hitting the speaker button on the phone. "Tell her she's early. Have her wait in the lobby and I'll be out in five."

"Yes ma'am, one second—" Veronica could hear Angelica's muffled voice on the other end of the line, which was suddenly replaced by her mother's impatient snapping, _"Since when do I need an appointment to see my own daughter? Excuse me, I'm just going to-"_ followed by Angelica's frivolous protest, "Wait, ma'am, Mrs. Lodge is currently in a meeting—" and then her frazzled assistant picking up the phone again. "I tried to stop her Veronica, but she's a determined woman. She's heading to your office now."

"Fuck." Veronica hung up the phone. She really needed to have a talk with Angelica about her doormat tendencies. But later. She turned to Jughead and motioned at him frantically, "Hurry! Hide!"

Jughead ran over and slid under her desk like he was making a home run. Veronica quickly sat down in her office chair, pulling up the sleeves of her dress and doing her best to zip up the back on its own. She stopped about 3/4 of the way up and then checked her reflection in the small oval mirror on her desk. Her lipstick was smudged everywhere. Great. She hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe it off and then opened her drawer, pulling out a tube of Dior Rouge in 999. She had just finished swiping the shade across her lips when the door opened and Hermione fumbled impatiently through.

Her mother stopped in front of her desk, folding her arms and looking at Veronica in disappointment. "Really, mija? Making your mother wait so you can give yourself a makeover?" Hermione dropped her purse onto one of the two plush chairs on the other side of Veronica's desk and plopped down in the other one. "That gringa up there made it seem like you were actually doing work."

"Angelica's just doing her job." Veronica reminded her mother. "You're the one who showed up early so I felt like I needed to rush to get ready for dinner." Veronica explained nonchalantly. As she was speaking she felt something tingling up the inside of her left leg. _Wait_. Was Jughead actually trying to get her killed? She felt the light pressure of his hand slowly make its way up between her legs, dancing just outside of...

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, looking at her daughter skeptically. "You seem... distracted."

"I'm fine." Veronica replied tightly. She clamped her legs shut together quickly and Jughead let out a soft yelp in surprise, his fingers crushed between her thighs and not in the way he fantasized about.

"What was that?"

"That was me." Veronica insisted, kicking Jughead in the stomach with her heel. "I just... realized something. Ah!" She tried to mimic the noise that Jughead had made. "I realized that I need to email The Met to confirm the shareholder's meeting after party." She pretended to pull up something on her computer screen. "Look, just give me five minutes, I swear I'll be out in three."

"Fine." Hermione relented, picking up her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll just go keep Angelica company. Maybe I'll even get some dirt on your dad out of her, since you insist on keeping your lips sealed." She sashayed out of Veronica's office as quickly as she had come in.

Veronica exhaled and pushed herself away from her desk, bending down to look at the man huddled under it like a contortionist. "Think you can find your way out of here on your own?"

"Out of your desk or out of your office, because I think I'm stuck-"

"Both." Veronica grinned devilishly, standing out of her chair and gathering her things.

"Think you can give me a hand?" Jughead squeaked, trying to untangle himself from the tight space.

"After that stunt you just pulled?" Veronica asked innocently. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself down there, why would you ever want to leave?" She draped a coat over her arm and grabbed her briefcase, before kneeling down and giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. She left an imprint of her freshly applied lipstick there with him. "See you in Riverdale sometime." Veronica bid him adieu, heels clacking as she made her way towards the door and flipped off the lights.

 

* * * * *

 

Veronica gingerly bit into a piece of sashimi, listening to her mother prattle on about the messy divorce her parents were currently involved in. The two women were seated at their usual table at NOBU's downtown location, and Hermione was on her second small bottle of sake.

"After everything I have done for that man. The dirt I've gotten on my hands. The times he's put _my_ life at risk. He has the nerve to bring Penelope _fucking_ Blossom of all people to the new exhibit opening at The Whitney and parade her around in front of the paparazzi. Our divorce isn't even public yet!" Hermione had barely touched her black cod miso. "At least she'll end up on Page Six where she belongs."

"Uh-huh." Veronica nodded absent-mindedly in agreement, swirling a slice of yellowtail in her soy sauce and wasabi mixture.

"Okay, what's going on?" Hermione asked, putting down the sake bottle and trying to meet her daughter's gaze. "Usually you have so much more to say on the topic of your father. It's not fun if I'm the only one shit-talking. Then it just seems pathetic." Hermione admitted. She tilted her head to the side imploringly.

"Sorry." Veronica winced. "I totally agree with you. Very classless of father, but what can we expect? It's totally like him to just do whatever he wants without thinking about anyone else." Hermione was still looking at her skeptically. "Okay, honestly, I just... I've been in a good mood lately and I guess as a result I just haven't had much time to dwell on Dad."

"You? In a good mood?" Hermione picked off a piece of black cod with her chopsticks and took a nibble. "Please, the only time you're in a good mood is when you're getting laid regularly. I remember the Archie years." Hermione joked.

"Mom!" Veronica was mortified. Her mom had gotten _way_ too comfortable around her since the divorce proceedings started. She really wanted them to be like girlfriends who joked about this kind of stuff but Veronica just wasn't there yet. "Gross."

"Well, I know that can't be it considering your husband spends more nights with my husband than you. Ex. Ex-husband." Hermione reminded herself. _Yep, the sake was really getting to her now._ "Wait a minute." Hermione dropped her chopsticks onto table. "You're not... Veronica, tell me you're not..."

"Not what, Mom?" Veronica snapped, suddenly feeling very warm. She reached for the bottle of sake and poured herself a cup.

"You're not sleeping with Archie, are you?"

"What the fuck, mom!" Veronica exclaimed, in disbelief at her mom's brazen accusations. Did she really think Veronica was that much of a hot mess? At neighboring tables a few heads turned towards her outburst. Veronica lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "Him and Betty literally just got back from their honeymoon a month ago and I would _never_ do that to them. Either of them." She intended to savor that cup of sake she just poured but instead she threw the whole thing back, slamming the empty cup down for another refill.

"Okay, okay." Hermione held up her hands in defense. She picked up her chopsticks again, in an initial attempt to turn their dinner back around to more routine topics of conversation. But she just couldn't help herself. "But if not Archie, then who?"

"What makes you so sure there is a 'who'?" Veronica asked testily. She forced herself to sip her next cup, to try to keep this conversation under control.

"Because I _know_ that look Veronica." Hermione replied seriously. "That feeling. I've been there." She jabbed her chopsticks accusingly towards her daughter. "Mija, you need to be careful."

"Right. How could I forget?" Veronica asked sarcastically. "The time I saw you bumping uglies with my high school boyfriend's dad." Veronica leaned back in her chair. "I think I can manage not to fuck up that badly." Although, truth be told, was having an affair with her high school boyfriend's best friend really that much better?

Her mother appeared wounded at her words, which of course made Veronica feel guilty. She rubbed her temple, as if she could nudge her testy defensiveness out of her own head. "Sorry, mother." Veronica apologized sincerely. She poured them both another cup as an act of atonement.

"No, it's okay." Hermione sighed. "You're right. Which is exactly why you should listen to me." She reached forward, placing her hand on top of Veronica's. "Listen Mija, I get it. Being married to the men in this line of work... it's hard. It's _lonely_. You do what you have to do to not let it overwhelm you. I'm the last person who would judge you for that. But you have to be smart." Veronica frowned, not quite sure what her mother was getting at. "If he makes you feel good, if he makes you happy... you'll get attached. You'll get reckless. It will end badly, not just for you, but for him." Hermione sighed. "And if you do end up caring about this person, how will you live with being the person responsible for bringing the wrath of Hiram Lodge down upon his life?"

Veronica shifted in her seat uncomfortably, pretty certain that her mother was now speaking directly of her own sordid history with Fred Andrews. "Okay, mom. I understand." Veronica replied, mostly to try to appease her. To move on from this torturous conversation.

"Promise me, Mija." Hermione insisted. "You'll end it soon."

"Fine. I promise." Veronica groaned. "Can you please finish your cod?" Veronica gestured towards her mother's barely touched entree. A waiter, noticing that the two women had emptied their second bottle of sake, meandered over to their table.

"Can I interest you ladies in another bottle of-"

"Yes." Veronica and Hermione both replied in unison. Hermione winked at her daughter. "Actually, might as well make it two."

 

* * * * *

 

Jughead pulled out his phone as he left the building, taking note of the time. He still had another hour before he needed to head back to Riverdale, which was probably just enough time to wander over to his favorite record store in the East Village and hit up Papaya Dog for dinner. He glanced around, trying to orient himself in a north-easterly direction when he spotted a familiar figure huddled just a few feet away. It was one his students, and he didn't look like he was in good shape.

Jughead rushed over to the panicking teen, "Duncan? Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's the matter? Why aren't you on the bus back to Riverdale?" Duncan was one of the star students in his English class. He also wrote for The Blue and Gold, and was a bit of a class clown; commanding his classmates' attention despite his short stature. He was also a serpent.

At the moment Duncan was covered in a lawyer of sweat and a few shades paler than his natural color. "M-Mr. Jones!" Duncan exhaled, seemingly relieved at Jughead's presence. "I'm so sorry for not getting on the bus, but..." His hands were tightly gripped around the strap of the duffel bag slung across his shoulder. He nodded down at it. "They told me I needed to deliver this to the bar across the street." Jughead glanced up at the sleek black building across them, marked solely by a golden crest in the shape of a greyhound. He looked back at Duncan.

"Who's they? Who's making you do this?"

"The Serpents." Duncan explained matter-of-factly. Jughead hissed, a fist forming in frustration. "Look, I... I just really can't lose my job at the conservatory. It's the only thing I got going that's gonna help me pay my way through college, and... they said if I didn't do this one thing I'd be out." Duncan shuffled his feet anxiously. "I didn't even think it was that big of a deal but then I got curious and I looked inside, and..." He unzipped the duffel bag a few inches, just enough that Jughead was able to make out was inside: a shit ton of cold. hard. cash. "Once I saw that I just started freaking out, like what kinda shit are they putting me up to? Nothing good can come out of walking around with this much money." Duncan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Wow, it really feels good to get that off my chest."

"Okay, Duncan, look at me." Jughead put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "We are going to figure this out. I am going to take care of this, okay?" He zipped the duffel bag back up and reached for the strap, pulling it over the younger boy's head and then slinging it over his own shoulder. "They said to deliver it there, right?"

"Yeah, the Greyhound Bar." Duncan confirmed.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do." Jughead retrieved his wallet from his pants and pulled out a few fivers, handing them to the kid. "Take the subway up to Penn Station. Get yourself something to eat. Maybe some pizza or a hot dog. I'm going to deal with this," He put his hand on the bag. "And then I will meet you there and we will catch the train back to Riverdale together. Okay?" Duncan nodded obediently. "Okay, go. And don't get into more trouble on the way." He sent the boy off and adjusted the strap on his shoulder before crossing the street with determination. The windows to the Greyhound were tinted black, making it impossible to see inside or infer what could be waiting for him on the other side. With a nervous exhale Jughead placed his hand on the door and pushed it ajar, stepping across the threshold.

The bar was abuzz with the happy hour crowd. Investment bankers in full-on suits with loosened ties and slicked back hair were lounging around on tufted armchairs, throwing back shots. A haze of cigar smoke cast a foggy filter across the entire scene. Jughead couldn't have looked more out of place if he tried, and curious stares followed him as he wove his way through the crowd. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, but he had a feeling that whatever it was— it would find him.

"Can I help you?" A young woman with a slicked back blonde ponytail approached him. She was dressed not unlike the receptionists in Veronica's building; minimal yet severe in a sleek little black dress. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Special delivery." Jughead explained simply, nodding to the bag slung across in shoulders. Improvising his way into and out of sticky situations was a skill he had picked up in his high school days. The trick was in always acting like you were where you were supposed to be.

"I see. Right this way." The blonde gave him a knowing smile and then turned on her heels, leading him through the crowd. She approached a blood-red door at the back of the bar, knocked on it two times with a graceful swish of her wrist before pulling it ajar. "He's waiting inside." She held the door open, gesturing for him to proceed.

"Um. Cool." Jughead nodded, awkwardly shuffling past her and into what appeared to be an intimate little chamber. There was a fireplace crackling on one side of the room and a small bar on the other, where a frail gentlemen, presumably the bartender, stood polishing a glass. He eyed Jughead suspiciously as he made his way into the room and towards the two leather armchairs by the fire.

"Jughead Jones? No fucking way. I had no idea they'd send you." An amused voice; an all too familiar voice pulled Jughead out of his reverie. He followed the voice to a lithe figure sitting casually in one of the chairs, one leg propped up on the other knee, and a glass of scotch in hand. Jughead almost dropped the duffel onto the floor in surprise.

"Reggie?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and kind notes so far! 
> 
> So... fair warning, this is where the story starts to go into slow burn mode. I mean, considering what they got up to in the first chapter, it's only fair, right? ;) Hope you will stick around to see how things turn out! While the last chapter was very Veronica-centric, this one focuses more on Jughead. Enjoy!

Jughead caught the attention of many of the Riverdale Conservatory's visitors that morning when he pulled into the parking lot with a screech and then violently slammed the door of his station wagon shut. A few older women clutched their pearls as he stalked past them towards the entrance with a brown tattered duffel bag slung across his shoulder.

Sweet Pea was standing at the concierge desk in the lobby's entrance, explaining something to one of the employees when Jughead unceremoniously dropped the duffel bag onto the counter, commanding the attention of the entire atrium.

"We need to talk."

 

* * * * *

 

"I heard you had left the Serpent life behind for good." Reggie tilted his head to the side, eyeing Jughead curiously. The fireplace beside him crackled brightly, casting dramatic shadows across the small chamber in the back of the Greyhound Bar.

"You must have heard wrong." Jughead replied quickly, sinking down into the tufted armchair across from Reggie. The pale older man who had been polishing glasses behind the bar now slowly meandered over to where Jughead was seated, handing him a crystal glass filled halfway with copper colored liquid. Jughead took it reluctantly.

"Must have." Reggie shrugged. "That's a glass of Dalmore 64, by the way. Some of the finest Scotch you'll probably ever taste." He held up his glass to the firelight, swirling the liquid around and examining it as if it were a work of art. "There are only three bottles in circulation in the entire world," His eyes flickered to meet Jughead's, "So don't waste it."

"Cool." Jughead replied unenthusiastically. Was Reggie trying to impress him, or something? No wonder Veronica was so miserable. "Look, Reggie, we can skip the pleasantries. You never liked me, I never liked you, so let's just get this over with." He reached down and grabbed the duffel bag by the handles and dropped it unceremoniously into the space in between them. "Here's your bag."

"Sorry, I just can't help myself." Reggie chuckled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "I'm just savoring the moment here... you of all people, the person most diametrically opposed to Hiram Lodge in all of Riverdale... and now you're one of his drug mules. How's the view from up on that high horse?"

Jughead swallowed, trying his best not to react to this new information. _Drug mule? What the fuck were they asking Duncan to do?_

"Well," Reggie sighed, "You may not have left the Serpents but you must've really fallen in their ranks if they're making you their new errand boy."

"That's funny, one could say the same for you." Jughead replied lightly. "Aren't you supposed to be Hiram Lodge's right hand man? Yet here you are, entertaining a lowly Serpent like me."

Reggie's smiled faded. He leaned back in seat and raised his right hand, snapping his fingers at the bartender. "Jeffers, the payload please." A few seconds later the stringy old man was shuffling back over towards them with another large canvas duffel bag in tow. He set it down gently in front of Jughead. "Here's your inventory for the next month." Reggie explained, gesturing towards the bag.

Jughead leaned forward, shakily unzipping the bag and dreading what he was going to find inside. It was filled to the brim with pixie sticks, the preferred vessel for transporting and selling Jingle Jangle. "Since you've all been doing such a good job clearing out your inventory for the past few months, we've added in about 20% more than usual. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Jughead felt his heart rate increase. He dug his nails into his knees to try to stop his fists from clenching. He couldn't believe it. The Serpents— _his family_ — had sold out and were dealing drugs for the Lodges. Even worse, they were using the Riverdale Conservatory's at-risk-youth program and kids like Duncan as a cover. It was unconscionable.

Jughead stood up abruptly. He needed to get out of here. The longer he stayed the more likely he was to do something he regretted, like betray his true feelings and blow his cover. "That's it, then? I can go now?" He asked impatiently, grabbing the bag of Jingle Jangle and hastily moving towards the door.

"Wait." Reggie pushed himself out of his seat, striding over to where Jughead stood. They stood face to face, just inches a part. Reggie pulled out one of the wrapped stacks of cash from the drop-off bag, sliding it gingerly into the inside pocket of Jughead's flannel button-down. He clasped a hand on the other man's shoulder, patting the spot where the cash now lay over his heart. "Can't forget your delivery fee. Maybe you could buy yourself a new hat? That thing's seen better days."

 

* * * * *

 

"We need to talk." Jughead looked at him expectantly. The other man swallowed, adjusting the bow tie on his conservatory uniform. He excused himself from his conversation with his colleagues and headed directly for his office at the back of the entrance hall. Jughead grabbed the duffel and followed him down the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. "You want to explain this to me?" Jughead asked, throwing the bag down onto Sweet Pea's desk. The other man lowered himself into his office chair, sighing dramatically.

"I'm guessing Donuts dragged you into this."

"Donuts?" Jughead looked at him in confusion.

"Duncan. The mousy kid who works here after school." Sweet Pea picked up a pen from his desk, nervously twirling it in his hands. "I thought he could handle it on his own, but apparently—"

"Do you want to explain to me why you're using high school kids enrolled in the conservatory's _At Risk Youth_ program as drug mules for Hiram Lodge?" Jughead asked, crossing his arms. "Oh, by the way, your next delivery is in there." He nodded at the duffel bag. Sweet Pea sat up in his desk, leaning over to zip open the bag. It was filled with pixie sticks. More than usual. "Do you have even an ounce of dignity left, Sweet Pea?"

"Okay, first of all Jug," Sweet Pea stood up, slamming both hands on his desk. "You lost your right to have an opinion on what the Serpents do when you abandoned us for the Riverdale High PTA."

Jughead clenched his fist, looking down at the ground. "You know I didn't have a choice, Sweet Pea. Riverdale High was never going to a hire a teacher that was an active member of the Serpents, let alone their leader."

"Riiiight." Sweet Pea nodded. "So you understand the sacrifices it takes to find work in this town. In this economy. I got a rap sheet worse than yours Jughead and Hiram Lodge was the only person willing to hire me with my record." He gestured around at his office. "And look at me now. I'm a manager. I run this place. He just asks for a few small favors in return."

"What the fuck happened to you, man?" Jughead shook his head in disdain. "You _hated_ the Lodges more than I did and now you're in business with Reggie Mantle? You can't stand that guy."

"Why do you think I send the kids for the drop-off." Sweet Pea scoffed, sitting back down in his swivel chair. Jughead slammed his hands down on the other side of Sweet Pea's desk, looming over the other man.

"From now on, do your own fucking dirty work. Leave my students out of it." He pushed himself away from the desk and stalked towards the door. He had his hand on the door knob when Sweet Pea called out to him.

"Jughead, wait—" Sweet Pea sighed. "Fine, I'll leave Donuts and the others out of it. But you can't... you know you can't tell anyone about this, right? He'll defund the entire program if you do and those kids will be out of a job."

"And so will you." Jughead added in pointedly. He hadn't felt this angry or this helpless in years. As he grew older he had learned to accept that life was unfair, that bad things happened to good people, and that guys like Hiram Lodge somehow always came out on top. But to see it happen to his students, these promising kids who already had to work so hard to get ahead, it ignited a fire in him he thought he had long put out. But there was nothing he could do, nowhere to place that rage without making things even worse for the kids. Duncan loved his job at the conservatory. It was the one thing helping him out both mentally and financially for his future. He wasn't going to take that way from him. Jughead sighed, dropping his shoulders in defeat.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything."

 

* * * * *

 

After his confrontation with Sweet Pea, Jughead headed straight to campus for work. Most of the day progressed slowly, and he found himself distracted in each of his classes, wondering which of the serpents amongst his students were involved in this sordid affair with the Lodges.

He got a brief respite in the afternoon, during the independent study hour he supervised for the kids now in charge of running The Blue & Gold. They were a small crew, just three of them, but they reminded Jughead of his friends and himself at that age. There was Duncan, the extroverted serpent who got along with everyone. In that way he reminded Jughead a little bit of Archie. Duncan was the kind of kid who built bridges and disarmed skeptics with his cheeky sense of humor. Then there was Cassidy: sophomore class president, editor-in-chief of the Blue & Gold, and junior varsity cheerleader. She reminded Jughead of both Betty and Veronica with her sky-high ambitions and uncompromising vision for the future. Lastly, there was Wendy. She was the quietest of the three, but perhaps the most talented writer. Out of all of them, she reminded Jughead the most of himself and despite his strong sense of ethics which suggested that he should _not_ play favorites with his students, he found that he was always looking out for Wendy. He wanted to be the person that he wished someone had been for him in high school— someone who would've pushed him out of his comfort zone and helped him aspire to bigger and better things than Riverdale. This had been a challenge lately as it seemed Wendy had hit an inevitable low-point in her high school narrative: watching her two best friends start to date.

Though Jughead didn't pay much attention to the social lives of his students, it was kind of hard to avoid this new development when Duncan and Cassidy had become physically inseparable; all over each other like hormonal high schoolers often are, with Wendy trailing along behind them as the third wheel. He figured that she must have been harboring an unrequited crush on the boy, it was the only thing that could explain her recent bout of mopeyness.

Jughead was pulled out of his thoughts by the vibration of his phone against the wooden desk. He picked it up and saw that he had received yet another text from Veronica.

_V: Are you ignoring me?_

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The short answer was: yes. Ever since his trip to New York and his discovery of the Lodge family's latest scheme to sell jingle jangle through the Riverdale conservatory he had been avoiding Veronica and her relentless messages— some of which were very _very_ hard to ignore. When he thought of her he couldn't help but wonder if she knew about what her husband and father were doing, or worse if she was directly involved in some way. Even if she wasn't, the incident had been a sobering reminder that he was getting incredibly caught up in the Lodge orbit and nothing good could come of that.

His phone buzzed once again.

_V: See you at Betty and Archie's tonight? Please don't make it awkward._

He placed the phone face down on his desk, mildly annoyed at her insinuation that he was the one making it awkward. He wasn't the one involved in a drug trafficking ring.

"Um, Mr. Jones?"

Jughead looked up to find the newspaper trio standing in front of his desk. Duncan and Cassidy were exchanging conspiratory looks with one another while Wendy hovered behind them, looking unsure. "What's up, guys?" Jughead sat up straight in his desk chair, leaning forward on his elbows.

"As you know, we've been brainstorming what our next big feature for the Blue & Gold should be about," Cassidy began. Jughead nodded along. "and we've decided on... online dating."

"Online dating." Jughead repeated, scratching his chin. "That is very interesting and timely, but aren't you all—"

"Technically too young to legally use any online dating apps?" Cassidy finished for him, "Yes. We realized that. Which is why..." She looked at Duncan, nudging him forward with her shoulder.

"Which is why," Duncan continued, "we were wondering if you could be our source. You know, go on some dates and then tell us about your experience. You are single, right?"

"Is it that obvious?" Jughead asked, scratching his head nervously. "I don't know guys, this seems a little... invasive. All of Riverdale High would be reading about my personal life?" Truthfully that wasn't the real reason he was apprehensive. The real reason was that between Veronica and this newfound drama with the Serpents and the Lodges, he didn't really have time for dating.

"I told you guys." Wendy chimed in, crossing her arms. "He's not gonna do it." Cassidy rolled her eyes at the other girl in response.

"Mr. Jones, you wouldn't have to divulge anything you're not comfortable with. But I think a lot students would be interested in hearing your perspective. You know, so we have an idea of what to expect as adults."

"Well, rule number one, don't expect anything." Jughead reminded them. He drummed his fingers on his desk for a moment, seriously considering their proposition. Cassidy didn't seem like the type who was going to take no for an answer. Another reason she reminded him of both B & V. "One." Jughead stated slowly. "One date. That's it."

"Great." Duncan grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. "Because we already created a profile for you and swiped right on a ton of women— it is women, right?" "Um, it is, but..." Jughead replied, suddenly taken aback by how quickly things were progressing.

"Okay, yeah, thought so." Duncan put the phone on the desk, navigating to the messages. "One of them already matched with you so all you need to do is message her. Or you can wait to see if you get any more matches. Up to you."

"Let me see that." Jughead couldn't help his curiosity. He picked up the phone, tapping into the highlighted message field. The profile of an attractive, curvaceous redhead popped up onto the screen. There was something unsettling about her; something uncannily familiar. Jughead's eyes scanned down to the bottom of the screen, where her name was emblazoned right above her bio.

 _Ethel Muggs_.

"No way." Jughead mumbled, swiping through the provided photos. Ethel with her cat. Ethel in a swimsuit in some tropical location. Ethel posing with a girly cocktail at bar. She did not look like the awkward girl from high school who played too much Gryphons & Gargoyles. "I went to high school with this girl." He explained to his students.

"Oh my god, it's fate." Cassidy squealed excitedly, clasping her hands together. "I can already picture the headline."

"Wait a minute." Jughead put a hand up. "I can't go on a date with this woman. It's way too weird. We... she..." He didn't want to get too deep into the Gryphons & Gargoyles incident. The only thing worse than his students doing a story on online dating would be his students digging into _that_. "We have a history."

"You realize you're only making this story seem _more_ interesting, right Mr. Jones?" Wendy replied. Now that he had consented to one date, she seemed much more onboard with the whole story idea.

"Well, like I said before, it doesn't have to be her. Although she _did_ swipe right on you, so you know she's down." Duncan reminded him. "Why don't you just wait and see who else responds by the end of the day? Here, let me install the app on your phone so you can access your account." He held out his hand for Jughead's phone. Jughead stared at it apprehensively for a moment before acquiescing, placing his phone into Duncan's hand.

The things he did for his students.

 

* * * * *

 

Veronica was already at the Cooper-Andrews household when Jughead Jones arrived. It wasn't like her to be so punctual, especially since she had to come all the way from Manhattan, but she had been extra anxious after a certain _someone_ left her on read for the past two days.

"Hey." Veronica nodded casually when Jughead entered the dining room.

"Hey." Jughead replied awkwardly, lifting his chin in acknowledgement. He cleared his throat and then quickly darted into the Cooper's kitchen to see if Archie needed help with anything. Veronica watched him leave the room with a suspicious stare before returning to her task of setting the table, taking the time to perfectly arrange each piece of flatware beside each plate.

"Does Jughead seem a little different to you, lately?" She asked Betty innocently. Betty Cooper was busy setting out some of the larger family style dishes on the table. Today's feast was Polish-themed: creamy pierogis, fragrant stuffed cabbages, and brightly colored borscht stood out against the Cooper's patterned tablecloth. "Like moody, and kinda distant?"

"What are you talking about? That sounds exactly like Jug, all the time." Betty half-joked. She wiped her hands on her apron then paused to look at Veronica thoughtfully. "Why do you care?"

"I don't." Veronica reassured her quickly. "I just wanted to brace myself in case he was in a more dour mood that usual. You know, thicken the skin in case he wants to take any more jabs out on my husband."

"I'll talk to him about that." Betty reassured her, placing a hand comfortingly on Veronica's shoulder. "He's going to have to get used to the fact that Reggie is a part of our little gang. Although it would probably help if Reggie could actually make it to dinner once in awhile. Then he could even defend himself." She quipped. Veronica smiled appreciatively in response, reaching up to squeeze Betty's hand with her own.

"Everyone ready to eat?" Archie asked, traipsing into the dining room with his hands enveloped in pair of large oven mitts and a large baking sheet littered with golden brown pretzels. Jughead sulked out of the kitchen after him, carrying two bottles of beer in each hand.

The foursome broke bread, devouring their home-cooked feast. Most of the conversation was dominated by Archie and Betty, who had a lot to share about their recent attempts at family planning. The awkwardness of hearing about which sex positions were the most promising for conceiving helped to mask the existing awkward tension between Veronica and Jughead, who had barely said a word to one another all evening. Veronica was, however, playing a very dogged game of trying to make eye contact with the reclusive man, who was very fastidious in dodging her gaze.

"So supposedly if you kind of like, stay lying down with your feet raised in the air afterwards, that's supposed to help the semen—"

" _Okay._ " Jughead interrupted, nearly choking on his beer. "And with that delightful detail, I think I'm going to have to excuse myself for a bathroom break." He pushed himself up from his seat, hastily making his way out of the dining room.

"Actually, I also need to pay the powder room a visit." Veronica announced as a matter-of-fact. She placed her napkin on the table and gracefully stood up from her seat. "There's another bathroom upstairs, right Betty?"

"Um, yeah, you can use the one in my old room..." Betty began, but Veronica had already disappeared out the dining room and up the stairs. Betty turned back to Archie, biting her lip. "Was that T.M.I.?"

 

* * * * *

 

Veronica quietly strode past Betty's old bedroom, towards the main bathroom at the end of the hall. She could hear the sink running from the other side of the door and so she stationed herself directly outside it, tapping her foot impatiently and waiting for Jughead to make his exit.

"Christ!" Jughead jumped back in alarm, not expecting to find Veronica standing right there. Waiting for him. "Are you stalking me?"

"That depends." Veronica replied icily, placing a hand against the bathroom door and wedging herself into the doorframe. "Are you avoiding me?"

"Um, no." Jughead lied, taking a step backwards into the bathroom. Veronica followed him in, closing the door softly behind her. She took a few more steps forward, cornering him up against the bathroom sink. "Look, Veronica, now's really not a good time..."

"I don't get it, did I do something wrong?" Veronica asked innocently, taking another step and closing the distance between them. He could feel her body pressing up against his and it was starting to make him sweat. Veronica slowly trailed her fingers up the side of his sleeve, sending goosebumps up and down his arm underneath. "Did you not like the photos I sent you? Because that was _French_ lingerie and it was _not_ cheap."

Jughead swallowed, his face flushing red as he thought of the distracting photos she had texted him earlier. Okay, so, he hadn't exactly _ignored_ those. "No, those were... very nice." Jughead admitted, his knuckles whitening from their grip on the porcelain sink behind him.

"Good." Veronica grinned, tilting her head upwards and capturing his lips in her own. Jughead groaned, leaning into the kiss. He found it hard to resist her, especially when she was here in the flesh, not simply an incorporeal being haunting him from beneath the black glass of his phone screen. One of his hands left the sink and came up to cradle the side of her face, pulling her closer towards him. "You know," Veronica breathed, sliding her lips down the side of his neck, "I never took you for the type to play hard to get, but it's kind of hot." Her fingers raced up towards the collar of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons.

"W-wait." Jughead exhaled, slowly pulling away even though it pained him to do so. He smoothed the shoulders of her dress out with his hands, holding her at arm's length. Just enough space for the tension between them to fester even further. "We can't."

"Of course. Not here." Veronica agreed, nodding fervently. "Later, at the lake house..."

"No. No." Jughead shook his head, staring down at the tiled bathroom floor. "I'm not coming to the Shadow Lake tonight, Ronnie. I'm sorry. I can't."

Veronica frowned. It was the first time he had ever declined her invite to the lake house. It was also the first time he had ever called her 'Ronnie'. Which is how she knew something was amiss. "Jughead, what's going on?" Veronica whispered softly. She reached up, gently cupping his face in her hands and forcing him to meet her gaze. Jughead bit his lip, contemplating for a moment. He supposed he'd have to confront her about it sooner or later.

"Are you aware that your father and your husband are using teenagers to smuggle drugs through the Riverdale Conservatory?"

"Excuse me?" Veronica took a step back. That was the last thing she expected to come out of Jughead's mouth. It would've been more plausible if he said he had met someone, which was what Veronica had been starting to fear after he ghosted her the past few days. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that? Because I thought I heard you say that my father was smuggling drugs through high school kids?"

"No, I said your father _and_ your husband are doing that." Jughead clarified.

"Wow. Okay." Veronica blinked, trying to process the new information that Jughead was throwing at her. On the one hand, she wasn't surprised by her father's actions— he had started dealing when he was in high school himself, so far be it for him to hold childhood as something sacred. But Reggie? _Wait a minute. How did Jughead even know this?_ "And you know this... how?"

"The day I saw you in the city. One of my students was supposed to make a drop. They gave him a duffel bag full of cash, Veronica." Jughead ran a hand through his hair. "I intervened, told him I'd do it instead. Believe me, no one was more surprised than I was when I walked into the bar and found Reggie waiting for me."

"Oh my god." Veronica put her face in her hands. She was mortified, confused, and gradually filling up with rage.

"Based on your reaction... I'm taking it that you didn't know about any of this?" Jughead asked, awkwardly staring down at his own hands and leaning back against the sink.

"Of course not!" Veronica insisted, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Is that why you've been acting so fucking weird the past few days?" She paused, suddenly turning her intense gaze onto him. He could see the heat beginning to rise in her cheeks, a fierce scarlet that was making him second guess his paranoia over her possible involvement. "You really thought that I would be involved in something like this?"

"Well, maybe not involved, but _privy_ and _resigned_." Jughead admitted. "Look, Veronica, I'm sorry but you're a Lodge... you know more than anyone what kind of man you father is but... it hasn't stopped you from working for him."

Veronica's jaw dropped. She folded her arms in front of her chest defensively. "I can't believe this." She shook her head. "Did you ever stop to wonder how I ended up doing public relations at Lodge Industries?" Veronica asked. "Me," she gestured towards herself angrily, "the girl who graduated summa cum laude from Harvard Law?"

Jughead was at a loss. Now that she mentioned it, it was a little odd. She was right that he had never really stopped to think about it that much.

"It's my punishment." Veronica spat out bitterly. "For Archie." A breath. "My father had big plans for Archie. He would've been my father's right hand man by now if I hadn't..." Veronica bit her lip.

"You ended it to protect him." Jughead finished. He had always wondered what exactly happened between Archie and Veronica after graduation. He had only ever heard about the break-up from Archie's perspective, and to the redhead it had been a devastating blow that had come out of nowhere. He hadn't been able to put together the pieces the way Jughead was able to now.

"If my father couldn't have Archie, he was determined to gain back twice what he lost. Two for the price of one. Me... and Reggie." Veronica sighed. "Reggie was easy. He was already in my father's orbit long before we even started dating. All it took was a fat signing bonus and a night on the town for him to sign his life away and make it official. As for me... my father had me blacklisted at every law firm in New York." For awhile now, Veronica had been as resigned to her fate as she was to her marriage. But to tell the whole tale aloud, to relive the painful twist of the knife in her back, it brought tears to her eyes. "Lodge Industries was the only place I could get a job. But not in legal. My father wouldn't even dignify me with that." Veronica wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, inhaling deeply to regain her composure. She wouldn't shed tears over her father. She simply _wouldn't_. "He made sure I was at arm's length, in a role where I couldn't interfere with his business. My job is essentially to brush his dirt under the rug. Poetic, isn't it?"

"Veronica..." Jughead began. He squeezed his hands into fists, frustrated on her behalf. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Well I never told you." Veronica whispered. "But I _showed_ you who I am. I've told you so many other things that I've never told anyone else. Not even Betty, who is my _best friend_." Veronica emphasized. "But I guess it wasn't enough for you to see me as anything other than a Lodge."

"Veronica..." Jughead began. He hadn't meant to hurt her, and she was right. He knew that her heart was in the right place— but sometimes that wasn't enough. Intentions meant little in the way of actions. "You have to understand, he's your husband..."

"Yeah, my husband who I'm so close to that I'm sleeping with you." Veronica reminded him, her voice raising a few octaves. "You know what. It's not even worth it. You never have and never will see me as someone built of the same moral fiber as you. This whole thing," Veronica gestured between them erratically, "is just you knowing you can take advantage of my questionable ethics for a quick fuck, because that's how desperate you are."

"Oh come on, Veronica." Jughead threw his hands up in frustration. "If you really believe that, are you acting any different than me? Assuming the worst in people?"

"I'm not assuming, I _know_. I know you are judgmental, holier-than-thou, and insufferably righteous." Veronica replied cooly.

"At least I'm not selfish, and melodramatic, and victimizing myself despite my insanely privileged life." Jughead spat out in return. "Oh no, your husband didn't take you to the Maldives this year? Your father forced you into taking a six figure salary? I'm sorry your life is _so_ hard, Veronica. Meanwhile, my students are working after school jobs to save up for college, the prospects of which _your_ family is sabotaging."

The rational, collected part of him knew that he was being ridiculous. Childish even, with that mocking tone. Unfortunately that part of him was buried beneath his rising blood pressure. Veronica was right about one thing: Jughead did not respond well to any perceived injustice and right now he felt as though he was being wrongly attacked. It wouldn't be like him to sit down and take her verbal abuse without fighting fire with fire.

And so ashes to ashes, it all burned down.

"I have better things to do on a Friday night than stand here and be insulted. So if you'll excuse me..." Veronica pulled out her iPhone, tapping out a quick SOS to her driver.

"Are you serious? You're just going to leave? That won't be awkward at all. What the hell are Betty and Archie going to think when you storm out of here?"

"That I can't stand you." Veronica replied dryly. "Which is what they already think." Veronica turned away from him, yanking open the bathroom door. "Either way, it's your problem." She spat over her shoulder before storming away down the hall.

"Cool. Just run away like you do from all your problems!" Jughead yelled after her. _Fuck._ She was infuriating. Jughead slapped his arm against the side of the doorframe, leaning his head against it in frustration. After a few deep exhalations he attempted to collect himself, splashing water on his face in an attempt to literally cool down. When he felt ready he finally made his way downstairs, just as the front door of the house slammed shut.

Betty was standing frozen in the foyer, a stack of dirty dishes in her hand. She shifted her shellshocked gaze from the front door to Jughead as he descended the last few steps.

"Jughead. What did you do?"

 

* * * * *

 

 _What didn't he do_? That was the question running through Jughead's mind as he replayed their heated conversation from earlier that night.

He was sitting in his station wagon, still parked in the Cooper's driveway after just barely making it out of the house alive. He had managed to concoct a somewhat believable story about Veronica having a family emergency, which was somewhat true in the metta sense. The story seemed to satiate Betty enough to get her off his back, and secure him an invite to the next dinner party. But as for Veronica... he wouldn't be surprised if he never saw her again, unless her love for Betty and Archie could outweigh her newfound contempt for him. Knowing her, which— _did he, really?_ — she would probably insist on having the Cooper-Andrews couple visit her in Manhattan from now on; a safe, Jughead-free zone where no one would force her to confront the conflicting dualities of her life.

Did he regret how things had been left between them? Well, yes. It had been naïve, but he had hoped that when things eventually ended — and it was a matter of _when_ , they had known that from the start — he had hoped that maybe they would still maintain some semblance of a friendship. A sense of ease with one another at the very least. The type of ex-lovers who would be genuinely happy for one another when they moved on. It was a nice idea, but one with no grounding in reality. The truth is this thing between them could've only ever ended one way: badly.

Maybe it was all for the best. Life would certainly be a lot less complicated for Jughead if he was able to freely dislike the Lodges and everything they represented without having to pause and consider the feelings of a certain charming brunette. Would he miss her? The warmth of her skin and the weight of her on top of him? Well, yes. But there were modern day solutions for coping with such loss.

Jughead fumbled with his phone in his right hand, absent-mindedly paging through his apps until his finger hovered above a telltale red square with the icon of a flame inside it. He hesitantly tapped on it and the screen suddenly popped up a photo of a familiar redhead from his past. He scrolled past the photo and using both hands typed out a message on the tiny keyboard of his phone.

_Hey._


End file.
